Lester sobbed in the tank’s dark and quiet as the memory faded. Marlene’s face retreated and vanished. Yet the warmth of her touch lingered upon him. The feel of her lips upon his neck did not dissipate. Lester still smelled the fragrance of Marlene’s perfume.
The shop’s proprietor helped Lester out of the tank. “You’ve just seen it too, haven’t you? Your face screams you’ve just seen something.”
Lester stepped back into his outfit. His fingers carefully knotted his pink tie. “It’s more wonderful than they claim. Their descriptions don’t do it justice.”
Lester hurried out of the memory shop, determined not to return to that jade tank in order to taste the divine memory of that Gus clone who sacrificed himself leaping through fire so that the masses of humankind could taste the epiphany of his memory. The memory had to be shared. It was a blasphemy to sell it like another bottled thrill. The memory demanded a ritual that did the wonder proud.
Lester skipped down Chancey Lane and found that young acolyte of the Risen Moon. She did not cringe, recoil or retreat when Lester ran into her arms. She too had tasted that sweet memory, and that man she welcomed was none other than he who wore the pink tie.
Soon, that young woman in the twirling sun dress realized, they would fill the world with divine Gus clones. Soon, no Company nor any law would forbid the birthing of one more clone who brought revelation of what waited beyond the grave.
* * * * *