Cher-Nobel

22,000 AD

Petro took a seat on the train car, cautiously checking his surroundings.

“I think he’s nervous,” Vira observed with a smile.

“Are you nervous, Petro?” asked his father.

“No,” Petro answered. “It’s just my first time.”

“You’ve taken hypersonic trips before,” remarked Vira.

“Yea, but not this distance.”

“It’s only a few thousand miles, son,” countered Ivan. “You won’t feel a thing.”

Greetings passengers! We are scheduled to leave momentarily. Sit back and enjoy the ride, or if you prefer to stand – please be courteous to those around you.

“Did you know the first nonstop transatlantic flight took place in 1919?” asked Ivan.

Petro could feel the train begin to engage.

“Really?” asked Vira. “How long did it take?”

“Sixteen hours.”

“Sixteen hours!?” questioned Petro.

“That’s right,” confirmed his father.

“What was the mode of transportation?” asked Petro.

“Something that was called an airplane. A precursor to spaceships.”

“You’re always full of such interesting facts, Ivan,” Vira remarked. “I bet they weren’t traveling thousands of miles per hour like we are.”

“They were most certainly not. You know me, honey. I love history.”

“Is that why we’re going on this trip?” asked Petro.

“Indeed! This is a monumental grand opening. It’s one of the last places on the planet to be modernized!”

Welcome to Chernobyl! I hope our tunnel-line proved top rate. Please consider journeying with us in the future!

“We’re here!” exclaimed Ivan.

The three vacationers stood in front of the gargantuan resort. Blazing sparkling lights illuminated the strip for miles and deafening upbeat sounds echoed through each regulated eardrum.

“Oh Ivan, this is even greater than I imagined!” Vira asserted.

“It’s sort of loud,” Petro countered.

“Just turn it down, son.”

Petro did just that.

“Let’s go!” said Vira excitedly.

As they walked in the rotunda, Petro observed the various ads that were tailored to his individual algorithm.

Now Retroactive Instead of Radioactive!

Try our Themed Treats like: Contamination Croissants or Nuclear Nutella!

Grow the Ecology AND the Economy!

Chernobyl: Burns Are Now 100% Organic!

“Look at these lovely new faces!” called out a nasally voice.

They turned to see the only working human in the establishment.

“Welcome to Cher-Nobel!I am your gracious host and entrepreneur – François Smith!”

“Mister Smith! It’s an absolute honor to meet you,” Ivan stated boisterously. “Congratulations on the venture. You know, I’m something of a businessman myself!”

“Oh? Well then, I’m sure you can attest to how hard it is in this day and age to be an industrialist in our non-monetary hyper-capitalist society!”

“Indeed!” Ivan put his hand on his son’s shoulder and added, “I try to teach the youngling here all the time: it’s all about that intellectual capital flow.”

“From mass production to mass customization to the Almighty’s highly regulated ears! I was just lucky to place my bid when I did for this place! In the last few decades people began waking up to the fact that this glorious land would soon become safe once again.”

“The radiation that was here from an accident long ago has just decayed to inconsequential levels,” Vira added, for Petro’s sake.

“Quite correct!” the owner confirmed. “ What’s that old proverb? Ah yes, buy low and sell high! And here we are – 20,014 years in the making!”

“Congratulations. The place looks amazing!” Vira remarked.

“Well you three enjoy! The world is yours! Every pleasure you can possibly conjure up is possible here! Through Hubble and beyond!”

They all exchanged pleasantries and Petro watched the wiry man hover away to intercept new unsuspecting guests.

“Wow! Can you believe it!? Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought we would be greeted by the man himself!”

“That’s kind of the point, no?” asked Petro.

Ivan and Vira shot him an odd look and then turned their gaze to the wonderland that blended digital and physical worlds.

“This is amazing! Petro, you are free to explore! Welcome to the World of Mixed Reality!”

“Wait. You want me to leave?”

“No! I want you to search! Investigate! Seek! Have fun! You are on vacation after all. I know you’re not exactly used to interacting with the physical world much but this is a great stepping stone!”

“I interact with the physical wor—”

“-Okay, let’s get a move on!” Ivan declared.

The couple was off, leaving Petro in a sea of human traffic.

The youth looked around, voyeuristically observing the oblivious. Amalgamations of ding dongs, pitter-patters, and click clacks resounded over the voracious verbalizing of the moving crowd.

As bodies parted, Petro noticed a gate in the distance that seemed out of place by comparison. Every other entrance and exit was done up, bedazzled, as if to force one to speculate what could possibly be on the other side. This one, however, was dim and shabby - easily skipped over.

Petro could only assume this was done intentionally. Of all the places and attractions he could have explored, it was that lifeless passageway that beckoned him.

He crept up to the spot while noticing a few robots engaging in janitorial duties. He waited until they passed to make his move.

He positioned himself behind a giant plant, which he wasn’t sure was physically real or not. It felt material, but one could never really tell.

To his surprise, the entrance was unlocked. No identification of any kind was needed. He carefully opened it and peeked through the crack to see a gloriously carpeted staircase, the colors and patterns changing at will.

Petro slid to the other side and closed the entrance behind him. The sounds of the resort had peculiarly ceased and the level of silence made him uneasy.

He tiptoed as he descended down into the darkened underground.

“Hello?” he whispered.

No answers came.

He reached the bottom step and turned to head in the opposite direction of the stairs. He could make out hues of faint colors. He looked back to the stairs but decided, for reasons unbeknownst to him, to continue.

Petro moved towards the hubs of light, not being able to see the area surrounding him. He inched nearer, each step providing an extra pixel of clarity.

When Petro reached the epicenter of surrounding lights, he, for the first time, understood what encircled him.

Copious amounts of human beings were suspended from harnesses. Tawdry lights emanated from electrodes that were inserted into the numerous craniums.

Petro gasped in fright. His legs shook and his palms became sweaty before his advancements compensated.

They were still breathing, as their chests gently motioned out and back in.

The youth wasn’t sure what to do. He thought about freeing the captives at once, though realized such a drastic move could spell their doom. He could run back and find his parents, though he had no idea where they went. He pictured himself going to the authorities, though he had the sneaking suspicion they already knew. Finally, he contemplated simply screaming.

“What are you doing here!?”

Petro could feel a firm hand on his shoulder.

The sense of touch occurred at the same time as the question. Petro recoiled from the physical interaction but that familiar voice simultaneously calmed him.

He turned to see his father and without a second’s thought, hugged him.

“Petro. You don’t need to be down here.”

Catching his breath, his son responded, “There are bad things going on here! Look! People are being suspended mid-air and some sort of device is infused in them.”

Ivan looked out and serenely said, “I know.”

Petro could not believe the words that formulated out of his father’s mouth.

“You… know about this?”

“Yeah!” Ivan exclaimed with a smile. “This is the Payment Center. You didn’t think this beautiful resort was free did you?”

“Huh?”

“These people are all checking out. They had their fun and now these devices are analyzing the databases of their minds in order to generate new information. They mine data from our AI infused brains. Knowledge is today’s currency, son.” He put his arm around Petro’s shoulders and continued, “The human brain still can’t be mass produced but this is the next best thing! We’re living in a booming time, a time of innovation and industry! We should really count ourselves lucky.”

Ivan started walking Petro back to the stairs as the youth turned one last time to view the hanging consumers.

“I was surprised I was able to get in,” Petro remarked. “I thought I was in a place I wasn’t supposed to be.”

Ivan laughed as an impulsive smile lit up his face.

“Have I taught you nothing about business, son? The door to the Payment Center is always open.”

THE END

Bio: Gregory Cioffi (SAG-AFTRA, AEA) is a professional actor and a published writer. His works have been published in The Feral Press, Mystery Weekly Magazine, Queen Mob’s Tea House, The Nassau County Poet Laureate Society Review, Little Old Lady (LOL) Comedy, Blood Moon Rising Magazine, Fleas on the Dog, The Five-Two, Aphelion, Paumanok: Interwoven/Transition, and Allegory Ridge. Many of his stories have been archived in numerous libraries including Yale University’s Beinecke Collection (Rare Books and Manuscript Library). His poem Confined But Commemorating, written about Memorial Day during the pandemic, won third place in the Nassau County Poet Laureate Society Poetry Contest. Greg is an Adjunct Professor of English at Long Island University, an Associate Professor of Literature & Composition at Post University, and he also teaches Creative Writing, Poetry, and Basic Acting at Nassau Community College...

E-mail: Gregory Cioffi

Website: Gregory Cioffi's Website

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