| The year was 2700 AD, and the technological | | | | flower, whose colors were changing and morphing |
| advances of mankind were impressive. By now, 99% | | | | constantly, its head slowly turning, and now, the perfect |
| of disease had been eliminated, and the average life | | | | voice of a human resonating from it... In one more |
| span was around 150 years. Innovating and exciting | | | | minute, all these functions would stop, and it would |
| new fields of science had been opened and | | | | close again."Wow, that was amazing," Bastello said, "I |
| subdivided. Art found new and creative ways to be | | | | mean, I've seen some flowers do some crazy things, |
| expressed. The ways of the people became not | | | | but that was absolutely brilliant.""Seven thousand lines |
| necessarily simple, but all directed towards fulfilling the | | | | of altered genes, my friend," Casva said, tapping his |
| passion of the heart, the creativitiy of the mind.Bastello | | | | her computer, "There are billions I have yet to tap in |
| walked with his/her lover Rols, gently trotting across | | | | to.""I have not seen anything so beautiful in all my |
| the otherwise untouched cobblestone. As they passed | | | | years," Rols said."Yeap," Casva replied, "It takes 12 |
| by a housing unit, they hear some shouting. It was their | | | | hours of the solar panel being charged just to get two |
| friend Casva. "Hey, Bastello! Rols! I've got something | | | | minutes. I'm trying to reduce that time without harming |
| you want to see!""We're comin'!" Bastello hollered. | | | | the abilities of the plant.""You know, Casva," Bastello |
| Technology had become molded with biology in this | | | | said, "Several hundred years ago, toiling with things like |
| era, and many bodies included implants that helped | | | | genetics was considered a social violation. It was |
| boost immunity, strength, and other basic | | | | considered heresy, playing as god, to do what you've |
| functioning."What do you have for us, Casva?" Rols | | | | done.""Oh, I know," Casva replied, "And only a few |
| asked once the two were inside the housing unit of | | | | hundred years earlier than that, it was considered |
| their comrade."My newest creation," s/he replied, "Are | | | | heresy to paint a picture of something that didn't |
| you looking?""The flower?" Bastello asked, "What | | | | include angels or god. So many paintings were burned, |
| about it?""I've been tweaking the genes of it for the | | | | so many libraries were leveled. And, if we also want to |
| past few weeks," Casva sad, "I bought a gene | | | | dig into the past, you'll remember that what doctors did |
| manipulation kit at the hobby store. With all the effort | | | | was considered heretical, because everyone thought |
| I've put into it, I think I've been able to create the most | | | | that god planned for them a death date -- and |
| beautiful flower ever." A look at the scene right now | | | | prolonging that date was considered heresy.""Yeah, |
| would reveal a flower, a computer attached to the | | | | you think people would learn to live and let live," Rols |
| flower, and a solar panel similarly attached to the | | | | said, "If it doesn't bother you, don't fuck with it.""I don't |
| flower. "This solar panel allows me to get more energy | | | | think it's that, precisely," Casva said, as he unplugged a |
| to the flower faster," Casva says, "Sure, sure, it's not | | | | few wires from his/her computer, and then looking up |
| natural like other hobbyists like, but hey, it gets it faster | | | | to his/her comrades, "Actually, I think it's learning what |
| to the best part.""So, what do you have to show us?" | | | | bothers you and what doesn't bother you. The Nazis |
| Rols asked, "It's a flower. It's not even open. It's very | | | | could actually argue that, by letting the Jews live in |
| much closed.""Okay, watch this," Casva replies. S/He | | | | peace, they were being bothered. Homophobes of the |
| turns to his/her computer and presses a few keys, | | | | early 20th century argued that by allowing |
| and then flips three switches attached to the solar | | | | Homosexuals to live in peace, they were being |
| panel.With all that, the flower bloomed. It was a rose, | | | | bothered. You wouldn't think it at first, but the 'sanctity |
| but not any ordinary rose. The petals started to shift in | | | | of marriage' has just about the same foundation as |
| color, twisting and turning into oranges, purples, greens, | | | | the 'sanctity of the white race.' Most of the time, it is |
| blues, yellows, the colors moving in and out much like | | | | the persecutor whose psychology is, in fact, not much |
| waves would smash in the ocean. The psychedelic | | | | more grown from when he was perhaps three or four |
| colors of the flower molded, morphed, grew, rose, | | | | years ago. It is the fault of the persecutor to harbor |
| shrunk, and receded. But, just as they had managed to | | | | the sick ideas of oppression -- not the fault of the |
| be amazed entirely by this one spectacle of the | | | | oppressed to fight back." |
| flower, something else happened. It started to turn. The | | | | Life,Punkerslut (or Andy Carloff) has been writing |
| head of the flower was turning at at utmostly slow | | | | essays and poetry on social issues which have caught |
| pace, adding to the immense beauty of the plant, | | | | his attention for several years. His website provides a |
| allowing others to afford a greater appreciation of its | | | | complete list of all of these writings. His life experience |
| colors. And, then something strange happened... All | | | | includes homelessness, squating in New Orleans and |
| throughout the room, a sound could be heard. A very | | | | LA, dropping out of high school, getting expelled from |
| gentle and increasing hum could be heard coming from | | | | college for "subversive activities," and a myriad of |
| the center of the flower. It almost sounded like a choral | | | | other revolutionary actions. |
| voice. Very light. Very gentle. Very delicate. This | | | | |