November 13, 2020 • 26 mins
Imagine Game of Thrones, but Neanderthals never died off
It’s 1107, and the once-great Neanderthal empire is no more, laid waste by the dark Sapien king, Isaac, the same bastard who slaughtered the Thal queen’s young heirs. A brutal reversal of medieval power forged in blood and fueled by Sap ingenuity.
But one babe escaped the mad king’s wrath.
Raised the son of a simple Thal herder, Maralek’s a rough lad with the ferocious pride and temper of his ruined people, a scorn for rules and rulers, and less than a little creativity in his thick skull. In a word, your average Neanderthal.
And life’s livable, until King Isaac resumes his bloodthirsty crusade, and Maralek’s forced into slaving shackles. Then, a rowdy caravan, a mysterious gypsy, a whispered prophecy… A whirlwind of devastation and war as his master is murdered, his fate unwoven, and his world ripped asunder in an epic battle to end all.
Neanderthal King is a historic epic YA fantasy by renowned science fiction and fantasy author, Matt Ward, that features savage twists and darker secrets, raging kings and enslaved heirs, and an audaciously ambitious coming of age quest set in an alternative medieval Europe. If you love Brandon Sanderson, Ursula le Guin, or Robin Hobb, or explosive high and low fantasy classics like Lord of the Rings, the Kingkiller Chronicles, and the Earthsea Cycle, you’ll love this heroic historical tale.
For more information, to purchase the complete audio adventure or to download the entire technothriller free with a free trial of Audible, visit neanderthalking.com
—
Want to follow along with Maralek’s adventure? For a limited time, grab your FREE illustrated map of Tharkal and the six kingdoms of Sapdom by visiting mattwardwrites.com/map.
—
More information on the author at mattwardwrites.com.
It’s 1107, and the once-great Neanderthal empire is no more, laid waste by the dark Sapien king, Isaac, the same bastard who slaughtered the Thal queen’s young heirs. A brutal reversal of medieval power forged in blood and fueled by Sap ingenuity.
But one babe escaped the mad king’s wrath.
Raised the son of a simple Thal herder, Maralek’s a rough lad with the ferocious pride and temper of his ruined people, a scorn for rules and rulers, and less than a little creativity in his thick skull. In a word, your average Neanderthal.
And life’s livable, until King Isaac resumes his bloodthirsty crusade, and Maralek’s forced into slaving shackles. Then, a rowdy caravan, a mysterious gypsy, a whispered prophecy… A whirlwind of devastation and war as his master is murdered, his fate unwoven, and his world ripped asunder in an epic battle to end all.
Neanderthal King is a historic epic YA fantasy by renowned science fiction and fantasy author, Matt Ward, that features savage twists and darker secrets, raging kings and enslaved heirs, and an audaciously ambitious coming of age quest set in an alternative medieval Europe. If you love Brandon Sanderson, Ursula le Guin, or Robin Hobb, or explosive high and low fantasy classics like Lord of the Rings, the Kingkiller Chronicles, and the Earthsea Cycle, you’ll love this heroic historical tale.
For more information, to purchase the complete audio adventure or to download the entire technothriller free with a free trial of Audible, visit neanderthalking.com
—
Want to follow along with Maralek’s adventure? For a limited time, grab your FREE illustrated map of Tharkal and the six kingdoms of Sapdom by visiting mattwardwrites.com/map.
—
More information on the author at mattwardwrites.com.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Disruptors, the podcastabout the future of all of us,
where we look at the technologies,trends, and societal norms shaping our collective
future. Here, the world's topminds share their insights and predictions on the
convergence, direction and ethics of exponentialtechnologies transforming life as we know it.
You can learn more and stay upto date at Disruptors dot fm. Meremani
(00:26):
Press presents Death Donor by Matt Ward. More information on the author at matt
Wardwrights dot com. To purchase thecomplete audio adventure, or to download the
entire techno thriller free with a freetrial of audible, visit deathdnor dot com.
(00:47):
SAM officers were coming and going inthe bustling police station, victims and
small cues as voice based AI receptionistsquestion each new plaintiff. A burly man
handcuffs with two black eyes was draggedpast us, and in the corner a
baby screamed a call hello, whatwho is this? My brain was racing,
(01:11):
Jones, are you there? Itwas Ethan? What did he want?
Didn't I work enough hours? Yeah, Ethan, I said, I
mean, sir, I mean misterAnderson, Sir skip the formalities. What
happened? Everything? Okay, Ethanhad connections right, maybe he could help.
I signaled Darren to shut up.Molie is missing. We don't know
(01:34):
what happened. He didn't say aword until I finished. So they're thinking
kidnapping. He asked, how canI help? The lab has sequencers and
we've got plenty of drones. Actuallytake the company v tall? Was he
serious? Was this the same sharpelbowed boss who crushed competitors and wasn't afraid
(01:55):
to bite back. The analysis shouldbe done, and he excuse me,
staring missus Jones, please come withme, A young Asian officer beckoned us.
Towards the interior of the station,passed two armed guards and into the
chaos. I need to go,sir. I'll let you know when we
hear more, and thanks for everything. We turned the corner, passing two
(02:17):
bunker desks into an open office ofbusy blue bloods. Harolson was by the
automatic espresso machine. Coffee anyone.We shook our heads. My stomach roiled.
Just tell me what have you got, I asked, Good news.
We've got a beat on our perpand our grabbing him as we speak Darren's
(02:39):
face brightened and my heart caught.She's okay, I asked. If she's
there, we'll find her, thedetective said, without smiling. Perp was
a neighbor of yours. Freddy triptwo streets over on Welch. It didn't
ring a bell. Ah, lookslike he's here. Harolson led us through
(02:59):
the ray of hand gesturing cops andhurried reports that went into keeping Atlanta somewhat
safe to a deserted hall of oneway mirrors. Stay here, he gestured
to a small waiting area with severalhalf cushioned chairs. Budget cuts we did,
and he hurried to the last dooron the right, knocking and disappearing
(03:20):
inside. Darren grabbed my hand.She's going to be okay, She's going
to be okay. Time slowed toan unbearable crawl, and after ages,
the door opened, Harrelson trudged out. Exhausted. I leaped to my feet
and hurried toward him. What happened? Where is she? He held up
(03:44):
a hand in silence, enveloped us. I'm sorry. My chest tightened,
my stomach nodded raw acid grief.No, no, it couldn't be Ethan
Jones's make upless, eyes were paleand sunken, shoulders slumped. She looked
(04:09):
horrible. Surprise, surprise, textbook repression at wits end. I'd let
her work yesterday to get her mindoff things, anything to cope with the
loss of her daughter. But nowRoger said she was a liability. The
cops weren't sure which underground clinic thegirl had been sold into, only that
(04:30):
the junkie had been high as aworthless trust fund kid. He'd taken the
ten grand her body fetched and blownhalf on dope. There was a two
and a half percent chance she'd endedup source material at one of our facilities.
If she had, it wouldn't bepretty. It was against our policy
to source black market, but thingshappen. Some employees were more enthusiastic than
(04:56):
others. I shuddered as Jones enteredthe kitchen in a zombie shuffle. Poor
thing. Jones have a drink withme. Reaching under the handmaid cabinet,
I drew two ancient snifters the Earlof Zetlin had given me after that stag
hunt. That was before Botswana faceto face with a bull hippo talk about
(05:18):
reevaluating things. Jones propped herself ona stool, empty eye, staring into
her snifter. I had to dothis just right. Women were so delicate.
What levers to pull? Want totalk about it? She said nothing,
downing her drink with a toss.It was nine am, Jones,
(05:42):
you should go home, get somerest, be with your husband. She
didn't so much as blink that baduncorking the aged Kentucky bourbon again a royal
thank you for an expedited procedure.I slipped the pill into her drink.
I'd hoped not to need to.She swallowed hard. She's gone and it's
(06:06):
all my fault. I should havebeen there passing her the drink. She
downed it. We slid her carvedbody to the floor. One less headache
to deal with. Get her home. Boris, first time visit in our
facility. Mister Anderson, the pimplefaced Asian with the olive green prison guard
(06:29):
uniform, asked. He stuck outan unwashed, calloused hand and shook mine,
probably hoping to make an impression you. He flinched when Boris stepped forward.
Naught deedy, I material it's beena while, I answered, The
lad smiled. I'll give you thetour till the warden's ready. That's okay,
(06:49):
I cut in. We'll wait inthe office. He led us away
from prisoners through an uncleaned hall thatechoed of lost souls, to a small
waiting area with triple bolt locks,no windows, and several folding chairs facing
Certificate of Excellence awards on the barebone walls. No one was getting in
(07:09):
here, not with Boris and rogerson either side of the door, hands
to rival a rattlesnake. Huang satnext to me and opened his mouth.
So much for quiet contemplation. Didyou know there's over three million Americans in
prison and two hundred thousand on lifesentences, he said, like a girl
scout, rattling off flavors. Actuallyit was two hundred and twelve thousand,
(07:32):
but I said, nothing passays.Too many damn blacks and Hispanics is the
problem, he continued. He's right, at least about the blacks. Hispanics
are okay. Though I tried totune out the pitchy Southern drawl that didn't
fit his face. It didn't work. But there was a knock on the
door and it opened, Thank goodness. A rag of a man walked in
(07:56):
the warden's sloppy haired attendant. He'llsee you now. We rose and made
our way next door, losing thepeppy redhead and entering the warden's inner sanctum,
which looked like a cross between acheap o' i kea and an old
folksome French pressed shirt, pristine desk, and his paper notebooks screamed conservatism.
(08:18):
He jumped into pleasantries, and Iplayed ball for two minutes before saying,
let's make a deal. He eyedme. G DC's partnered with Beyond Human
for all our death row inmates.Why are we having this conversation? You
asking us to break our word?His eyes flared, not at all.
(08:41):
I leaned back in the cheap foldingchair and pretended to survey the office.
I always felt public servants and defenderslike yourself deserve better if you were to
reconsider your contract. What kind ofprice per head we talking? His eyes
narrowed, You mean when our contractruns out next year. I nodded and
(09:03):
worked on these suckers every time.We ironed out details. As we cut
the legs out from under our bigApple based competitors. Gonzalez radioed ahead to
disable her missile systems and whizzed overthe endless pine trees and tennis courts nearest
her front porch to land. Ihopped out, waving at the frizzy haired
(09:24):
woman in embarrassing blue and try hardOakleys and nineties all stars. She never
did have a sense of fashion.Mom surprise, her custom racket clattered to
the ground. Blue eyes sparkling even, I thought, what a sun can't
pick his mother up? She smiled, sweaty arms enveloping me. Come here,
(09:46):
you look good, you two,I said, But you gotta stay
on top of your treatments, shepromised. We left, but not before
a quick snack of peanut butter oreos, a throw back to the old days.
The occasional cheap meal wouldn't kill me. What's on your mind? Ee?
She set aside the mid morning Margherita. I'd never been able to get
(10:09):
her to kick and put her handon my shoulder. You looked tense.
What was it about moms? Shecould read me like a book. It's
Penny Wood the murder. The board'spushing for a resolution to the whole thing
and looking to seize control, howeverthey can. You're in charge, honey,
(10:31):
Just tell them you're handling it,I sighed, life was so simple
for her. I have, butthey have investor protections too. Bastards that'll
work itself out, always does.It's costing as a fortune, though money
isn't a problem anymore, she said, life is and living it. She
(10:54):
gave me the remember the important thingsin life. Look Bobby and I had
always hated. Damn I missed him, I groaned. We solved that we'd
been over this before. There's adifference between life and living. You never
take time to enjoy the moment.You're always going a mile a minute.
(11:16):
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(11:39):
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details. And now let's get backto the episode. Sam out of Booze
already. I'd bought another four bottleslast night or was that two days ago?
Three? Closing my eyes, Islumped on the sweat stained couch,
(13:54):
eyes heavy and shoulders worse. Fuckwas Sunday, four days after my world
imploded and Detective Harrelson broke me.Darren wasn't much better for him. It
was wine and shitty detective shows.We were a mess. I had no
idea where to turn or what todo. The rock we'd built our life
(14:18):
on had been swept away, castingus to float aimlessly until our inevitable end.
And in terms of drowning, Iwas putting in my best effort,
anything to stop the pain. Theimage of some sick doctor carving open my
little melia clawed at my soul.I couldn't get it out of my head.
(14:39):
Another swig of knock Off jamieson another, and still I could feel damn
it it hurt. Her face keptcoming back, Mummy, A knock.
Someone at the door. I couldcare less, but Darren didn't move his
lazy ass. Darren sam hopen up. Who was that? What did they
(15:03):
want? I shuffled to the door, the wall a guiding friend as I
stumbled twice. It was Harrelson again, but not in uniform. She's not
him one now, I groaned.He took a whiff but said nothing.
We tracked the supplier to a highend clinic in North Druid Hills specialized in
(15:24):
controversial extensions. Sunlight blinded me.When was the last time I stepped outside?
What was that mean? My headhurt? North Druid Hills. It
means, he said, whoever boughtyour daughter and used her tissue for treatment,
and illicit treatment at that was quiterich, think a million plus per
(15:48):
procedure and well connected, quasi legalat best. But they won't serve jail
time. Wait what who? Nojail time? The new slow motion sucker
punched me, my clouded brain reeling. They're not saying. The clinic,
whose name I'm not at liberty togive you for obvious reasons, wipes their
(16:11):
databases every night and have no recordsor proof whatsoever. Their clients, who
include presidents, senators, dictators,trillionaires, et demand it. Oh so
no leeds. I that I'd findout somehow. You have to do something.
(16:33):
This is my daughter. He shookhis head and I grabbed the doorway
for support. The investigation is over. Even if we could go further,
I don't want to. His eyesfell. You don't mess with these types
unscathed. If you catch my drift, I did and sent until proven.
Poor pussy. My head throbbed.They couldn't get away with it. They
(17:00):
couldn't. Her lifeless face thrashed meagain, the doctor's heartless scalpel. My
hand fell to my scarred abdomen.They'd cut her out of me again.
I'd let my little girl down,back to the fridge, anything to dull
the pain. Mike. They shouldbe in Rome by now. I'd been
(17:26):
so tempted to go, but ifAva only had a few months, we'd
have fought like always and spoiled everything. And she didn't want me. So
here I was home alone reading SenatorWarren's bill. It was a mouthful even
for Congress that was saying something.Did she think this would propel her to
(17:48):
the presidency? With President and Winn'ssecond term coming to a close, all
the familiar faces were out in force. At least I wasn't part of that
media arrance's backstabbing, outright propaganda.I was more than happy as a simple
senator. But how could I twistthis b S bill to make it work
(18:10):
for Georgians new window the BBC inspirationmight strike and the Brits were more impartial.
Plus the female anchor had dirty eyes, wild hair and a sexier voice.
In startling news. Median age andlife expectancies throughout Africa and Asia continue
(18:30):
to decline as Dona stipends tempt thirdwilled economies decimated by automation. In the
West, a full twenty million lastyear in China alone, more than double
than natural deaths to fuel China's healthgraze click Google news. Were they still
making noise after the antitrust break upa decade earlier? That had been a
(18:52):
fight, a protest outside DEDI donorsfighting for a slot and a reasonable payout.
It's not like they could unionize,but they deserved their fair share.
This could be a big opportunity toget in front of people and win some
airtime. With Rodriguez pushing for myseat, why not. Wallace hated the
(19:15):
idea, but in the end agreedif he could bring Reggie and a few
other guys to manage security. Beforelong we were in a governmental black tinted
tesla racing through the city. Ifthe cops shut down the protest, I'd
miss my chance, and with MeganLarsen hounding me, I wouldn't mind DDI
taking a hit. On the shortride over, I checked email. It
(19:40):
still hadn't been replaced, despite whatpeople claimed. The chip embedded in my
palm verified my biometrics, genome,blood type, genetic age, the basics
before allowing access to my encrypted Amazonaccount. Four messages my email bought cleaned
up every more flagging. One's worthmy time. Two arrival confirmations for Jamie's
(20:04):
flight stung. I should have beenthere, but they needed mother daughter time,
especially if Eva cheez I opened thethird for some much needed distraction.
It was Phil, my wealth adviser. Dude was a genius introduced to me
by Envisioned CEO five years prior.They'd needed help after the company's miniaturized augmented
(20:29):
lenses had a record one hundred billiondollar IPO. Where do you park that
much dough? A few great investmentopportunities fourteen percent IRR guaranteed call me Phil.
I made a mental note and closedthe message. Bam. Something smashed
into our windshield. Another rock.Holy shit. The driverless car accelerated,
(20:52):
zipping past bums lining the long abandonedcemetery. Both guards stiffened, fingers twitching.
We passed the last of the slums, the car filtering out the stench
of shit and unwashed bodies. Ithadn't been so bad ten years ago.
What can you do? Five minuteslater, a frustrated army of peaceful protesters
(21:15):
marching outside Deity Eye's gleaming high risecampus, carrying signs and yelling, taking
videos and posting to social Several fearlessreporters mingled with the displaced, and from
above, dozens of drones from GoogleNews, Fox, CNN, and The
Times hovered getting their shots for theEvening News. A few angry Hindoos and
(21:37):
Christians holdouts from pre Lee Times shookbibles shirts emblazoned with disgust for the assisted
suicides, hell wrongful reincarnation. You'dthink they'd get with the program. It
didn't look like they could afford deathinsurance. Two armored male and female guards
approached our vehicle, drawing weapon pensto create a human shield. Reggie opened
(22:03):
the door and I stepped into thecrowd, beelining for the impromptu podium set
up outside the Double Helix building,Infinity logo obscured by the masses. It
had been a few years since I'dlast been in I was probably due for
another treatment. Grigory would know.He'd have my records and a suite of
tests he'd want to run always did. A ponytailed hipster with us shut up
(22:27):
and die hoodie and an older blondewho could have been his mom emerged from
the crowd, blocking our way.The mob must not have noticed the pro
aging pair, freaking agers. Howdecrepitness was anything but awful? Was beyond
me some people. At least myparents hadn't deteriorated like a used drive train.
(22:49):
Damn those early v tall days anddad's optimism. I'd been nine when
they'd died. Why hadn't he listenedto me? From the stage. A
woman's voice boomed, amplified over airspeakers spread around us and echoing down the
traffic restricted road. There's a conspiracybetween the l e companies and the elites.
(23:12):
How many of you lost your jobor failed to find work, tried
to become a life donor and beenturned away? Were you offered below market
rates? Not this again? Jeersand cheers as people quieted, applied for
death insurance and been denied. Anotherwave of fidgeting shouts as people began to
(23:33):
push, getting rowdy. Where werethose cameramen? The game's rigged, the
rich get richer, and we paupersbegged to offer our lives to feed our
families. I say no more.She was right. Security personnel emerged in
black graphonite vests and riot masks,fiberglass shields, and sawed off shotguns at
(23:56):
the ready ship these l e guymeant business. A statuesque, pale soldier
with ruthless eyes headed for the ringleader. Disband at once. You are in
violation a federal decree one oh fivepoint six one c returned to your homes.
We don't have any another woman yelled. The rebel on stage writhed as
(24:19):
two guards slammed her into a headlock. A rock flew and struck the big
guard's face. Crap. His twocomrades turned and fired, Holy shit,
where was Reggie? Gas canisters archedthrough the air and smashed the screaming crowd,
Smoke billowing as heavy projectiles crashed intobodies. Madness people ran, some
(24:44):
storming the stage, others fled.Another contingent sprinted for DEDI starship doors.
The empty eyed brunette next to mesaid, might as well get the money
and took off after this last group. What was happening? I stood there,
stunned until someone yanked me another waveof gunfire. Shrieking men charged us,
(25:07):
but Reggie dropped them with pistols tothe face, smashing their noses as
they crumpled to the concrete. Atlast, the Tesla doors opened. A
ragged little girl appeared arching a stonetowards us. No time froze. One
of the temp guards fired as shegrabbed another. Her innocent face exploded in
(25:27):
a crimson spray, falling forward deadbefore her teeth shattered on the cement.
Someone shoved me in the car.I tripped, the doors slammed, My
ears pounded. We raced off.This wasn't happening. She was just a
girl. Was this downtown Atlanta?You have been listening to death Donor by
(25:52):
Matt Ward. For more information.To purchase the complete audio adventure or to
download the entire techno thrill are free. With a free trial of audible,
visit deathdoonor dot com
Welcome to the Disruptors, the podcastabout the future of all of us,
where we look at the technologies,trends, and societal norms shaping our collective
future. Here, the world's topminds share their insights and predictions on the
convergence, direction and ethics of exponentialtechnologies transforming life as we know it.
You can learn more and stay upto date at Disruptors dot fm. Meremani
(00:26):
Press presents Death Donor by Matt Ward. More information on the author at matt
Wardwrights dot com. To purchase thecomplete audio adventure, or to download the
entire techno thriller free with a freetrial of audible, visit deathdnor dot com.
(00:47):
SAM officers were coming and going inthe bustling police station, victims and
small cues as voice based AI receptionistsquestion each new plaintiff. A burly man
handcuffs with two black eyes was draggedpast us, and in the corner a
baby screamed a call hello, whatwho is this? My brain was racing,
(01:11):
Jones, are you there? Itwas Ethan? What did he want?
Didn't I work enough hours? Yeah, Ethan, I said, I
mean, sir, I mean misterAnderson, Sir skip the formalities. What
happened? Everything? Okay, Ethanhad connections right, maybe he could help.
I signaled Darren to shut up.Molie is missing. We don't know
(01:34):
what happened. He didn't say aword until I finished. So they're thinking
kidnapping. He asked, how canI help? The lab has sequencers and
we've got plenty of drones. Actuallytake the company v tall? Was he
serious? Was this the same sharpelbowed boss who crushed competitors and wasn't afraid
(01:55):
to bite back. The analysis shouldbe done, and he excuse me,
staring missus Jones, please come withme, A young Asian officer beckoned us.
Towards the interior of the station,passed two armed guards and into the
chaos. I need to go,sir. I'll let you know when we
hear more, and thanks for everything. We turned the corner, passing two
(02:17):
bunker desks into an open office ofbusy blue bloods. Harolson was by the
automatic espresso machine. Coffee anyone.We shook our heads. My stomach roiled.
Just tell me what have you got, I asked, Good news.
We've got a beat on our perpand our grabbing him as we speak Darren's
(02:39):
face brightened and my heart caught.She's okay, I asked. If she's
there, we'll find her, thedetective said, without smiling. Perp was
a neighbor of yours. Freddy triptwo streets over on Welch. It didn't
ring a bell. Ah, lookslike he's here. Harolson led us through
(02:59):
the ray of hand gesturing cops andhurried reports that went into keeping Atlanta somewhat
safe to a deserted hall of oneway mirrors. Stay here, he gestured
to a small waiting area with severalhalf cushioned chairs. Budget cuts we did,
and he hurried to the last dooron the right, knocking and disappearing
(03:20):
inside. Darren grabbed my hand.She's going to be okay, She's going
to be okay. Time slowed toan unbearable crawl, and after ages,
the door opened, Harrelson trudged out. Exhausted. I leaped to my feet
and hurried toward him. What happened? Where is she? He held up
(03:44):
a hand in silence, enveloped us. I'm sorry. My chest tightened,
my stomach nodded raw acid grief.No, no, it couldn't be Ethan
Jones's make upless, eyes were paleand sunken, shoulders slumped. She looked
(04:09):
horrible. Surprise, surprise, textbook repression at wits end. I'd let
her work yesterday to get her mindoff things, anything to cope with the
loss of her daughter. But nowRoger said she was a liability. The
cops weren't sure which underground clinic thegirl had been sold into, only that
(04:30):
the junkie had been high as aworthless trust fund kid. He'd taken the
ten grand her body fetched and blownhalf on dope. There was a two
and a half percent chance she'd endedup source material at one of our facilities.
If she had, it wouldn't bepretty. It was against our policy
to source black market, but thingshappen. Some employees were more enthusiastic than
(04:56):
others. I shuddered as Jones enteredthe kitchen in a zombie shuffle. Poor
thing. Jones have a drink withme. Reaching under the handmaid cabinet,
I drew two ancient snifters the Earlof Zetlin had given me after that stag
hunt. That was before Botswana faceto face with a bull hippo talk about
(05:18):
reevaluating things. Jones propped herself ona stool, empty eye, staring into
her snifter. I had to dothis just right. Women were so delicate.
What levers to pull? Want totalk about it? She said nothing,
downing her drink with a toss.It was nine am, Jones,
(05:42):
you should go home, get somerest, be with your husband. She
didn't so much as blink that baduncorking the aged Kentucky bourbon again a royal
thank you for an expedited procedure.I slipped the pill into her drink.
I'd hoped not to need to.She swallowed hard. She's gone and it's
(06:06):
all my fault. I should havebeen there passing her the drink. She
downed it. We slid her carvedbody to the floor. One less headache
to deal with. Get her home. Boris, first time visit in our
facility. Mister Anderson, the pimplefaced Asian with the olive green prison guard
(06:29):
uniform, asked. He stuck outan unwashed, calloused hand and shook mine,
probably hoping to make an impression you. He flinched when Boris stepped forward.
Naught deedy, I material it's beena while, I answered, The
lad smiled. I'll give you thetour till the warden's ready. That's okay,
(06:49):
I cut in. We'll wait inthe office. He led us away
from prisoners through an uncleaned hall thatechoed of lost souls, to a small
waiting area with triple bolt locks,no windows, and several folding chairs facing
Certificate of Excellence awards on the barebone walls. No one was getting in
(07:09):
here, not with Boris and rogerson either side of the door, hands
to rival a rattlesnake. Huang satnext to me and opened his mouth.
So much for quiet contemplation. Didyou know there's over three million Americans in
prison and two hundred thousand on lifesentences, he said, like a girl
scout, rattling off flavors. Actuallyit was two hundred and twelve thousand,
(07:32):
but I said, nothing passays.Too many damn blacks and Hispanics is the
problem, he continued. He's right, at least about the blacks. Hispanics
are okay. Though I tried totune out the pitchy Southern drawl that didn't
fit his face. It didn't work. But there was a knock on the
door and it opened, Thank goodness. A rag of a man walked in
(07:56):
the warden's sloppy haired attendant. He'llsee you now. We rose and made
our way next door, losing thepeppy redhead and entering the warden's inner sanctum,
which looked like a cross between acheap o' i kea and an old
folksome French pressed shirt, pristine desk, and his paper notebooks screamed conservatism.
(08:18):
He jumped into pleasantries, and Iplayed ball for two minutes before saying,
let's make a deal. He eyedme. G DC's partnered with Beyond Human
for all our death row inmates.Why are we having this conversation? You
asking us to break our word?His eyes flared, not at all.
(08:41):
I leaned back in the cheap foldingchair and pretended to survey the office.
I always felt public servants and defenderslike yourself deserve better if you were to
reconsider your contract. What kind ofprice per head we talking? His eyes
narrowed, You mean when our contractruns out next year. I nodded and
(09:03):
worked on these suckers every time.We ironed out details. As we cut
the legs out from under our bigApple based competitors. Gonzalez radioed ahead to
disable her missile systems and whizzed overthe endless pine trees and tennis courts nearest
her front porch to land. Ihopped out, waving at the frizzy haired
(09:24):
woman in embarrassing blue and try hardOakleys and nineties all stars. She never
did have a sense of fashion.Mom surprise, her custom racket clattered to
the ground. Blue eyes sparkling even, I thought, what a sun can't
pick his mother up? She smiled, sweaty arms enveloping me. Come here,
(09:46):
you look good, you two,I said, But you gotta stay
on top of your treatments, shepromised. We left, but not before
a quick snack of peanut butter oreos, a throw back to the old days.
The occasional cheap meal wouldn't kill me. What's on your mind? Ee?
She set aside the mid morning Margherita. I'd never been able to get
(10:09):
her to kick and put her handon my shoulder. You looked tense.
What was it about moms? Shecould read me like a book. It's
Penny Wood the murder. The board'spushing for a resolution to the whole thing
and looking to seize control, howeverthey can. You're in charge, honey,
(10:31):
Just tell them you're handling it,I sighed, life was so simple
for her. I have, butthey have investor protections too. Bastards that'll
work itself out, always does.It's costing as a fortune, though money
isn't a problem anymore, she said, life is and living it. She
(10:54):
gave me the remember the important thingsin life. Look Bobby and I had
always hated. Damn I missed him, I groaned. We solved that we'd
been over this before. There's adifference between life and living. You never
take time to enjoy the moment.You're always going a mile a minute.
(11:16):
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(11:39):
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details. And now let's get backto the episode. Sam out of Booze
already. I'd bought another four bottleslast night or was that two days ago?
Three? Closing my eyes, Islumped on the sweat stained couch,
(13:54):
eyes heavy and shoulders worse. Fuckwas Sunday, four days after my world
imploded and Detective Harrelson broke me.Darren wasn't much better for him. It
was wine and shitty detective shows.We were a mess. I had no
idea where to turn or what todo. The rock we'd built our life
(14:18):
on had been swept away, castingus to float aimlessly until our inevitable end.
And in terms of drowning, Iwas putting in my best effort,
anything to stop the pain. Theimage of some sick doctor carving open my
little melia clawed at my soul.I couldn't get it out of my head.
(14:39):
Another swig of knock Off jamieson another, and still I could feel damn
it it hurt. Her face keptcoming back, Mummy, A knock.
Someone at the door. I couldcare less, but Darren didn't move his
lazy ass. Darren sam hopen up. Who was that? What did they
(15:03):
want? I shuffled to the door, the wall a guiding friend as I
stumbled twice. It was Harrelson again, but not in uniform. She's not
him one now, I groaned.He took a whiff but said nothing.
We tracked the supplier to a highend clinic in North Druid Hills specialized in
(15:24):
controversial extensions. Sunlight blinded me.When was the last time I stepped outside?
What was that mean? My headhurt? North Druid Hills. It
means, he said, whoever boughtyour daughter and used her tissue for treatment,
and illicit treatment at that was quiterich, think a million plus per
(15:48):
procedure and well connected, quasi legalat best. But they won't serve jail
time. Wait what who? Nojail time? The new slow motion sucker
punched me, my clouded brain reeling. They're not saying. The clinic,
whose name I'm not at liberty togive you for obvious reasons, wipes their
(16:11):
databases every night and have no recordsor proof whatsoever. Their clients, who
include presidents, senators, dictators,trillionaires, et demand it. Oh so
no leeds. I that I'd findout somehow. You have to do something.
(16:33):
This is my daughter. He shookhis head and I grabbed the doorway
for support. The investigation is over. Even if we could go further,
I don't want to. His eyesfell. You don't mess with these types
unscathed. If you catch my drift, I did and sent until proven.
Poor pussy. My head throbbed.They couldn't get away with it. They
(17:00):
couldn't. Her lifeless face thrashed meagain, the doctor's heartless scalpel. My
hand fell to my scarred abdomen.They'd cut her out of me again.
I'd let my little girl down,back to the fridge, anything to dull
the pain. Mike. They shouldbe in Rome by now. I'd been
(17:26):
so tempted to go, but ifAva only had a few months, we'd
have fought like always and spoiled everything. And she didn't want me. So
here I was home alone reading SenatorWarren's bill. It was a mouthful even
for Congress that was saying something.Did she think this would propel her to
(17:48):
the presidency? With President and Winn'ssecond term coming to a close, all
the familiar faces were out in force. At least I wasn't part of that
media arrance's backstabbing, outright propaganda.I was more than happy as a simple
senator. But how could I twistthis b S bill to make it work
(18:10):
for Georgians new window the BBC inspirationmight strike and the Brits were more impartial.
Plus the female anchor had dirty eyes, wild hair and a sexier voice.
In startling news. Median age andlife expectancies throughout Africa and Asia continue
(18:30):
to decline as Dona stipends tempt thirdwilled economies decimated by automation. In the
West, a full twenty million lastyear in China alone, more than double
than natural deaths to fuel China's healthgraze click Google news. Were they still
making noise after the antitrust break upa decade earlier? That had been a
(18:52):
fight, a protest outside DEDI donorsfighting for a slot and a reasonable payout.
It's not like they could unionize,but they deserved their fair share.
This could be a big opportunity toget in front of people and win some
airtime. With Rodriguez pushing for myseat, why not. Wallace hated the
(19:15):
idea, but in the end agreedif he could bring Reggie and a few
other guys to manage security. Beforelong we were in a governmental black tinted
tesla racing through the city. Ifthe cops shut down the protest, I'd
miss my chance, and with MeganLarsen hounding me, I wouldn't mind DDI
taking a hit. On the shortride over, I checked email. It
(19:40):
still hadn't been replaced, despite whatpeople claimed. The chip embedded in my
palm verified my biometrics, genome,blood type, genetic age, the basics
before allowing access to my encrypted Amazonaccount. Four messages my email bought cleaned
up every more flagging. One's worthmy time. Two arrival confirmations for Jamie's
(20:04):
flight stung. I should have beenthere, but they needed mother daughter time,
especially if Eva cheez I opened thethird for some much needed distraction.
It was Phil, my wealth adviser. Dude was a genius introduced to me
by Envisioned CEO five years prior.They'd needed help after the company's miniaturized augmented
(20:29):
lenses had a record one hundred billiondollar IPO. Where do you park that
much dough? A few great investmentopportunities fourteen percent IRR guaranteed call me Phil.
I made a mental note and closedthe message. Bam. Something smashed
into our windshield. Another rock.Holy shit. The driverless car accelerated,
(20:52):
zipping past bums lining the long abandonedcemetery. Both guards stiffened, fingers twitching.
We passed the last of the slums, the car filtering out the stench
of shit and unwashed bodies. Ithadn't been so bad ten years ago.
What can you do? Five minuteslater, a frustrated army of peaceful protesters
(21:15):
marching outside Deity Eye's gleaming high risecampus, carrying signs and yelling, taking
videos and posting to social Several fearlessreporters mingled with the displaced, and from
above, dozens of drones from GoogleNews, Fox, CNN, and The
Times hovered getting their shots for theEvening News. A few angry Hindoos and
(21:37):
Christians holdouts from pre Lee Times shookbibles shirts emblazoned with disgust for the assisted
suicides, hell wrongful reincarnation. You'dthink they'd get with the program. It
didn't look like they could afford deathinsurance. Two armored male and female guards
approached our vehicle, drawing weapon pensto create a human shield. Reggie opened
(22:03):
the door and I stepped into thecrowd, beelining for the impromptu podium set
up outside the Double Helix building,Infinity logo obscured by the masses. It
had been a few years since I'dlast been in I was probably due for
another treatment. Grigory would know.He'd have my records and a suite of
tests he'd want to run always did. A ponytailed hipster with us shut up
(22:27):
and die hoodie and an older blondewho could have been his mom emerged from
the crowd, blocking our way.The mob must not have noticed the pro
aging pair, freaking agers. Howdecrepitness was anything but awful? Was beyond
me some people. At least myparents hadn't deteriorated like a used drive train.
(22:49):
Damn those early v tall days anddad's optimism. I'd been nine when
they'd died. Why hadn't he listenedto me? From the stage. A
woman's voice boomed, amplified over airspeakers spread around us and echoing down the
traffic restricted road. There's a conspiracybetween the l e companies and the elites.
(23:12):
How many of you lost your jobor failed to find work, tried
to become a life donor and beenturned away? Were you offered below market
rates? Not this again? Jeersand cheers as people quieted, applied for
death insurance and been denied. Anotherwave of fidgeting shouts as people began to
(23:33):
push, getting rowdy. Where werethose cameramen? The game's rigged, the
rich get richer, and we paupersbegged to offer our lives to feed our
families. I say no more.She was right. Security personnel emerged in
black graphonite vests and riot masks,fiberglass shields, and sawed off shotguns at
(23:56):
the ready ship these l e guymeant business. A statuesque, pale soldier
with ruthless eyes headed for the ringleader. Disband at once. You are in
violation a federal decree one oh fivepoint six one c returned to your homes.
We don't have any another woman yelled. The rebel on stage writhed as
(24:19):
two guards slammed her into a headlock. A rock flew and struck the big
guard's face. Crap. His twocomrades turned and fired, Holy shit,
where was Reggie? Gas canisters archedthrough the air and smashed the screaming crowd,
Smoke billowing as heavy projectiles crashed intobodies. Madness people ran, some
(24:44):
storming the stage, others fled.Another contingent sprinted for DEDI starship doors.
The empty eyed brunette next to mesaid, might as well get the money
and took off after this last group. What was happening? I stood there,
stunned until someone yanked me another waveof gunfire. Shrieking men charged us,
(25:07):
but Reggie dropped them with pistols tothe face, smashing their noses as
they crumpled to the concrete. Atlast, the Tesla doors opened. A
ragged little girl appeared arching a stonetowards us. No time froze. One
of the temp guards fired as shegrabbed another. Her innocent face exploded in
(25:27):
a crimson spray, falling forward deadbefore her teeth shattered on the cement.
Someone shoved me in the car.I tripped, the doors slammed, My
ears pounded. We raced off.This wasn't happening. She was just a
girl. Was this downtown Atlanta?You have been listening to death Donor by
(25:52):
Matt Ward. For more information.To purchase the complete audio adventure or to
download the entire techno thrill are free. With a free trial of audible,
visit deathdoonor dot com
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