Description
Tianjin’s reinforced external hull, designed to endure the violent flaring of nearby UV Ceti, is an ominous sight for first-time visitors. But today, what’s inside this former science station is even stranger: Tianjin’s often extreme, never-ending and highly lucrative ‘Carnival’, brainchild of the station’s wealthy private owner Etheel Hayes. Participants in this dark festival submit to the whims and wishes of affluent ‘Patrons’, protected by no legal restraint other than a mandatory clone back-up. Many find this a weird and disturbing place.
A place once dedicated to the study of solar flaring is now a dark and debaucherous theme park, run as a private enterprise by an unconventional entrepreneur. Before Catastrophe, Etheel Hayes was an entertainment-mogul, skilled in the exploitation of controversy for marketing purposes. His vast wealth was generated by offering wealthy customers personalized VR experiences, specially created to fulfill their most taboo needs and desires.
But in the tech-phobic aftermath of Catastrophe, Hayes’s empire floundered; until he hit upon a new idea. Having gained insight into the dark core of his clients’ minds previously, he now conceived of a new product: ‘The Carnival’, a non-virtual theme park which offered the same limitless freedoms of his earlier VR projects, but with a twist. Instead of virtual characters, wealthy clients would interact with living, flesh-and-blood characters, doing as they please, so long as participants were protected with a clone back-up.
In 41 AC, Hayes found the site for his venture. He traded his extensive fleet of private ships with the Consortium for an unwanted observatory station in L 726-8 system. A few dozen cycles later, the ‘Carnival’ was up and running with word of its illicit allures spreading like a virus soon after. Although an old man now, Hayes continues to oversee the project personally as Tianjin’s Station Governor.
Chronicle text
Once nothing more than a humble observatory for the two red dwarfs of the system, this orbital facility was acquired by entertainment mogul Etheel Hayes 61 cycles after the Catastrophe. The station, being now free of regulation and the inconvenience of legality, became a den of eccentric, often fatal, indulgence. Travelers to Spirit of Tianjin, patron station of unconditional diversion, quickly find that even the basest, most unhinged ideas are entertained here.
Arrival text
Statistics
System: L 726-8 A
Affiliation: Independent
Level: 14
Legal: 8 (Strong)
Orwellian: 9 (High)
Areas
Bank (Tianjin Financial Services)
Tianjin’s bank is well-versed in the expectations of the super-rich who visit to patronize the Carnival. Polished stone floors echo with the footsteps of the well-heeled and their hovering attendants. Sycophantic bank staff treat high-profile customers with the requisite deference.
Every detail here is carefully designed to acknowledge the status of the Carnival’s wealthy patrons. Staff glide elegantly across the room, receiving clients with the individualized attention once reserved for royalty. Ergonomic seating and bowls of freshly grown hydroponic fruit from Amazon station ensure that even waiting is a pleasure here; at least for some. Those with less prestigious accounts; mainly support staff who help keep the station running, do their banking at a series of grubbier terminals near to the entrance.
NPCs
Brig (Spirit Holding & Correctional Facility)
Tianjin’s Brig is a small unit with white-paneled, hex-profile corridors and a few rarely-used cells. The guards’ bored appearance betrays how long it’s been since they last saw any real action.
Almost nothing is a crime on Tianjin, as long as it takes place within the parameters of the Carnival. As a result, demand for Brig services is fairly low. When it does arise, it’s often a case of over-enthusiastic patrons extending their Carnival activities to non-participants; often the station’s lowly support staff. Punishment for such indiscretion is financially severe, but fairly light in terms of Brig time: Etheel Hayes is careful not to alienate his core customers.
Clones (Tianjin Carnival Clone Support)
Although this clone facility is open to all, the majority of its business is generated by Tianjin’s Carnival. Following expansion, the premises now features multi-level wall-mounted pods, tended to by staff on a moving raised platform. Nonetheless, a vacant pod remains a rare sight here. Such is the demand created by the Carnival Patrons’ activities.
Tianjin’s Clone facility is utterly vital for the Carnival’s operation. If, for whatever reason, it should be offline, a temporary suspension of the Carnival would have to follow. As such, it enjoys both a generous maintenance subsidy from the station as well as the services of numerous armed guards.
It’s not unusual for staff here to process clones for the same individual many times in short succession. Actors and Dummies who serve some of the Carnival’s more sadistic Patrons often find themselves passing through a few dozen clones in a single cycle. The psychological toll of such an experience is difficult to predict.
Available Clones
NPCs
Decommissioned Area (The Theater)
Although Carnival activities can take place almost anywhere on Tianjin, the Theater is particular focal point. A cavernous circular space with a raised, somewhat blood-stained stage, it allows for highly public Carnival activities.
The image of Tianjin is now inexorably linked to that of its Theater. Here, an elevated stage is surrounded by seating on all sides, with private viewing booths overlooking from above. Teams of harried janitors rush to complete the clean-up from yesterday’s events in time for today’s program. Many have scrubbed the gristly remnants of death-fights, punishment shows, and ‘play parties’ more times than they can remember, and console themselves with a reminder that all those legitimately killed in Carnival activities have clone back-ups. Nonetheless, they still struggle to conceal the shock and disgust on their faces as they go about their work.
NPCs
Employment (Tianjin Employment Mart)
Split across two levels, the Employment Mart offers conventional station roles on the lower deck, and Carnival opportunities on the higher one. Many of those ascending the stairs to the latter have a nervous look in their eyes.
There’s always work on Tianjin for those who want it, thanks mostly to the revenues generated by its lucrative Carnival. But job seekers face a tough decision: pursue a lucrative role as a Carnival participant or a more menial and lesser-paid one, as a station support worker.
For those seeking Carnival roles, info posters explain the two different participant roles available: ‘Actor’ and ‘Dummy’, with clear stipulations on what Patrons can expect from you in either case. Actors, wearing green collars, engage exclusively in the service of a single, pre-specified Patron – while red-collared Dummies have consented to be used by any Patron at any time, and should expect to find themselves the subject of ‘spontaneous and often-improvised scenarios.’
NPCs
Career Advisory (Tianjin Career Advisory)
A banner hangs above the Career Advisory entrance: "Want purpose? Get a career!"
Discreet Work
Most stations have an area with a reputation for being a hub of shadier assignments. Tianjin is no exception. People here conduct their affairs with a furtive efficiency. Nobody invites eye contact.
Side Jobs
Tianjin offers a range of short-term employment opportunities for the willing and able.
| Name | Description | Credits | Statistic |
| Carnival Actor Recruiter | Patrons get bored of the same old actors. The Carnival needs regular fresh blood; quite literally. You can help with recruitment. | 60 | Stamina x4 |
| Carnival Participant Counselor | Carnival participants often need help with the traumas their work exposes them to. Report to Elana Zenden in the Cloning Vats to assist with this. | 60 | Social x4 |
| Scene Scrubber | The Carnival can be a messy affair. Some poor sod needs to clean up afterwards. Why not you? | 55 | Stamina x4 |
| Station Hull Technician | The station's reinforced hull requires maintenance to ensure continued protection from UV Ceti's powerful flaring. Visit JD Shah in the Port for the job. | 55 | Strength x4 |
Government Center (Spirit of Tianjin Governance & Oversight)
A slick, glass-fronted building incorporated skillfully into the surrounding rock, Tianjin’s Governance and Oversight center provides a reminder of the Station Governor’s personal wealth. As well as the usual administrative services, the center also handles licensing for Carnival activities, evaluating applications for new Patrons.
The station’s Government Center has been imaginatively worked from existing tunnels and openings in the Basalt formation deep within the original asteroid base. Of moderate size, it resembles a porous rock whose openings are covered with hexagonal glass panels.
Inside, more than half of the Spirit’s Governance and Oversight Center is given over to Carnival licensing and supervision activities. It’s here that new Patrons come to demonstrate proof of funds and pay their license fees. Many find it odd that the debauchery which happens here should have such a mundane and bureaucratic basis.
NPCs
Info Hub
Holo screens illuminate the area as news sources flow like a river of data from one terminal to the next. Occasionally, some government drone will adjust a particular metric or record another before buzzing about their duties.
Syndicate Services
A number of recruiters, both in physical as well as hologrammatic form, interact with would-be members or peruse applications on the wall of terminals that lines this room.
VIP Lounge
Soft music and soothing lights drift through the atmosphere in the lounge. Robotic waiters clad in shiny (but not too shiny) chrome wheel between Citizens, dispensing smooth looking beverages.
Gym (Tianjin Muscle)
This well-used Gym features all manner of innovative equipment. Some machines even suspend users upside-down, surrounded by levers and pulleys with which to work the attached weights. An endless stream of aspirational slogans flashes across the glaring wall monitors, urging users to push themselves ever harder.
Situated towards the station’s outer edge to harness maximum spin gravity, Tianjin muscle is a convoluted array of body-sculpting implements. On a station where appearances matter, this goes way beyond keeping muscles and bones healthy. Many of those working out here are aspiring Actors, hoping to make their bodies attractive to Patrons for some scenario or other.
You must have minimum combined physical stats of 51? to avoid injury at this gym.
NPCs
Inn (Tianjin Hospitality Hub)
The Tianjin Hospitality Hub is a gaudy complex of glass and chrome. Inside, visitors will find a Bar, Hotel, and Lounge.
Despite its unusual twist on the concept, Tianjin is essentially a tourist station with numerous facilities to cater for those who visit. With the costs of patronizing the Carnival beyond the reach of the system’s average citizen, this place is very much orientated towards the more affluent customer.
The Hospitality Hub’s striking entrance gives way to an inner foyer; filled with inviting seating, decorative hydroponic plants, and helpful ushers ready to advise lost newcomers. Surrounding the circular inner foyer are entrances to the Hospitality Hub’s popular facilities: Ceti View Hotel, Tianjin Taproom, and the Red Sisters Saloon.
Bar (Tianjin Taproom)
Tianjin Taproom is clearly aiming for a classy feel, with basalt slab table-tops, soft lighting effects, and numerous secluded private booths. Up close however, it’s a little grimier than the manager would care to admit.
The Bar on Spirit of Tianjin is a lively place. Look around and you’ll notice many occupants wearing the color-coded adornments which indicate the nature of their Carnival involvement. Self-satisfied Patrons with gold bracelets regale each other with stories of recent scenarios over tequila. Tired Actors and Dummies wear green and red collars respectively, marking the end of a shift with a stiff drink.
Others are simply regular visitors to the station with a voyeuristic motive, taking no active role in the Carnival but hoping to witness it nonetheless. They watch the mixed tables, where gold bracelet-wearers mix with those wearing green or red collars, waiting excitedly to see what strange episode might unfold next.
Menu
NPCs
Hotel Rooms (Ceti View Hotel)
The Ceti View Hotel is a meticulously-kept facility with highly discreet staff. Those who patronize the Carnival can rest assured that whatever pleasures they seek here, their privacy will be respected.
Once the main stellar observatory deck, this building featured a large transparent window from which superb views of UV Ceti’s flaring could be observed by scientists. After the former Consortium science station passed into private ownership, the area was repurposed as a high-end hotel, with the wondrous views now reserved for those occupying the most expensive suites.
Hotel staff are well-trained in handling wealthy guests, some of whom come here to engage in activities that would be considered abhorrent elsewhere. A special team of cleaners is always on hand for the aftermath should a room be used for some particularly gruesome act.
You should have minimum intelligence of 17.5? to avoid injury while reading.
NPCs
Lounge (Red Sisters Saloon)
Resembling a bizarre furniture shop, the Saloon offers a mind-boggling array of unusual seating options, some of which feature straps and moving implements. Curved screens divide the seating area into a number of more private spaces, many of which are used by exhibitionist Patrons for semi-public Carnival activities. Don’t look too closely if you’re of faint heart.
Named after the system’s pair of Red Dwarf stars, the Red Sisters Saloon tends to be less crowded than the nearby Bar. Ordinary residents sometimes use the space to relax between shifts, read a few chapters of the latest serial on their pocket slates or simply enjoy a moment away from the hustle and bustle elsewhere. But the serenity is always fleeting. Sooner or later, a Patron is likely to show up, with some form of debauchery following in the private booths shortly after.
You should have minimum social of 17.5? to avoid injury while socializing.
Market (Tianjin Mini Mall)
The Spirit of Tianjin has a moderately-sized multi-level shopping mall, offering diverse fare. Much of it seems geared towards making a tidy profit from the station’s wealthy visitors, via bizarre, and sometimes grotesque, props to be used on the bodies of well-remunerated Actors and Dummies.
Tianjin Mini Mall is a brightly lit collection of corridors, flanked on either side by various merchant booths. Each claims to offer unique and never-before seen products, though many are also readily available from competitors. But one thing is clear: Carnival is often about doing things to other people’s bodies which might otherwise be neither legal nor tasteful. As well as selling the more usual everyday fare, the Mini Mall’s vendors can be quite imaginative in offering props and tools to aid Carnival’s many excesses.
NPCs
Public Market
A large floor-to-ceiling display refreshes almost constantly with the latest offers on Tianjin’s Public Market. Bargain-hunters wait edgily like nervous gamblers, hoping the next refresh will herald the discovery of some hitherto under-priced treasure.
Storage (Tianjin Self-Store)
A compact foyer houses three self-service machines, taking users’ requests for item storage and retrieval. Bulky crates pass through the room on a short carousel. They’re tended to by their owners, before disappearing back into the automated warehouse.
Tianjin’s Storage units were originally designed to house scientific equipment for research teams studying the flaring of UV Ceti. Today, that science mission is merely a quirk of the station’s history. Most storage containers now hold private items belonging to Tianjin’s residents and visitors.
Vendors
The Vendors’ area is always busy on Tianjin. Ordinary residents peruse mundane wares for their everyday life. In adjacent booths, Patrons view product demonstrations for endless streams of toys and implements designed to animate their next bout of Carnival festivities.
Port (Tianjin Port Complex)
Tianjin’s mid-sized Port is a well-run facility, with a number of protruding external docking ports for both passenger and cargo vessels. It’s not uncommon for the high-end private vessels of wealthy tycoons to dock here while their owners patronize the Carnival.
Prominent notices about UV Ceti’s violent flaring are placed throughout most corridors, warning that few ships have hulls capable of withstanding the radiation emitted during such events. One reads: “A flare-wise Captain postpones non-essential journeys!” Further down, another warns: “Tianjin’s hull is DESIGNED for extreme flare events; your ship’s hull isn’t. Follow safety guidance!”
A huge central plaza marks the central hub of the station’s Port, with most users passing at some point through it whilst going about their business. Smartly-dressed attendants hover, always at hand to welcome returning Patrons.
Those hoping to earn a salary as their playthings also pass through; many with remarkable physical features which they hope will catch a wealthy Patron’s eye. Cosmetic augmentations are very much the norm, with a seemingly limitless variety on show, designed to tease Patrons with the promise of a new thrill.
Those interested in the full extent of Tianjin’s radiation-shielded hull can enjoy a closer inspection of the Port’s main hangar airlock doors. These 5 meter-thick, lead-composite doors truly are a sight to behold. Indicative of Tianjin’s robust construction, they reassure many a visitor not to fear UV Ceti’s unpredictable emissions.
NPCs
Arrivals
A bustling river of humanity with endlessly branching tributaries flows from the shuttles arriving here, through the processing gates, to crash onto the banks of eagerly awaiting locals receiving visitors from near or far flung parts of the galaxy. A number of travelers post the usual glazed looks of those recently harangued by any type of transportation system created and run by the human species. They drift with a mixture of existential confusion and relief through to the station beyond. Always, they are scrutinized by security or some type of subspecies therein.
Docks (Tianjin Imports)
Tianjin imports key consumables, but has little demand for industrial metals and complex chemicals. Its Docks handle Synthehol deliveries far more often than iron ore or platinum group metals.
Whilst indulging in Tianjin’s Carnival, Patrons also expect to be offered high-end consumables and surprising gastronomic items. It’s also not uncommon for Patrons to pursue scenarios in which Actors or Dummies are forced to eat all sorts of unpalatable things. As a result, Tianjin’s imports can be diverse: from high-grade tequila and hydro-grown real fruit, to hallucinogenic fungus from Moissan alongside poisons and toxins from the labs of YZ Ceti system.
Some degree of stockpiling is always undertaken here, enabling the station to survive the short travel lockdowns which accompany a major flaring event on UV Ceti. Rarely lasting longer than a day or two, the station’s supplies are usually sufficient to avoid disruption. Despite this, lockdowns remain stressful for many in the system.
Local Shuttles (Tianjin Shuttle Depot)
With only three stations in the system, the arrivals and departures board is not overly active here. Most traffic comes via the Jump Gate as voyeuristic visitors, desperate wannabe Actors, and cash-rich Patrons all travel from distant systems to experience Tianjin’s Carnival in their own way.
Electronic info boards scroll with updates of UV Ceti’s flaring activity, forecasting the likelihood that the star’s activity will cause travel disruption for the coming tenspan. Brief lockdowns, when travel in the system halts entirely, appear to be an infrequent but not insignificant problem.
For those with experience of other stations, the Local Shuttles terminal here is a strange sight indeed. Security checks for those coming into the station are almost laughably permissive regarding the items visitors can bring; although many items appear designed for pain rather than mirth.
Large info boards dispel common preconceptions about the Carnival for first time arrivals. No; the corridors aren’t endlessly full of blood and murder – although, on occasion, it happens. Yes; there really is no limit to what Patrons can do to Actors and Dummies. No; not everyone on the station is a participant. Many are simple support workers who mop up after the Patrons have had their fun. But no info poster can fully prepare first-time visitors for some of the things they’ll experience here, whatever the level of their involvement.
NPCs
Shipping Bay (Tianjin Haulage & Shipping)
A holographic 3D rotating star map spins over the reception desk of Tianjin Haulage and Shipping. Two queues endlessly shrink and grow in the lobby, as residents drop off and collect their items. The entrance of a green or red-collared resident is usually met with a murmur, as others contemplate the possibility of being witness to a Carnival scenario whilst running their errands.
Two automated terminals have been positioned next to electronic hatch-doors in the Shipping Bay’s back walls. A light flashes green when the next item is ready for collection. As with most of Tianjin’s station areas, a Carnival scenario could unfold in public here any segment. But in practice it rarely happens. It seems that the Shipping Bay doesn’t quite spark the Patrons’ imagination as much as other areas.
Residences
Tianjin’s residences are accessed by multi-level external stairways, rising on both sides of a central walkway directly under the station’s fusion tube. Electronic signs at the entrance scroll an important message: “Residences are outside of Carnival limits.”
Four levels’ worth of metal walkways have been bolted onto the rock on both sides of this gorge-like corridor, providing access to the individual residences cut into the surrounding basalt. Instead of a ceiling, the central Residence walkway is open to a section of the station’s fusion tube, flooding the space with a bright white light at all times.
In recent cycles, after a series of complaints from the Carnival’s non-participating support staff, the station’s owner and Governor, Etheel Hayes acquiesced to make this a safe zone, off-limits to Carnival patrons. Carnival Actors and Dummies now have a sanctuary to retreat to after a long shift servicing the desires of their Patrons.
NPCs
Ruins (The Old Labs)
Tianjin’s Ruins occupy areas formerly dedicated to scientific labs that served the station’s one-time research mission. They’ve long since become the private domain of scavengers, gangs, and syndicates.
Although the station’s wealthy Governor could afford to accelerate the reclamation of the Ruins, it’s widely believed he chooses not to on the grounds that this decrepit environment adds an extra dimension to the station’s Carnival possibilities. Patrons with fantasies of violent battles with Ruins rats often engage their Actors to enact them here.
NPCs
The Wrecks
These Wrecks attract all manner of wily foragers, ready to spend days among dust and rubble hoping to uncover some still-functional sensor or tool. Failing that, even a piece of reusable scrap material constitutes a satisfactory reward for a day’s digging.
Tianjin’s Wrecks are a dusty museum of its former purpose. The husks of intricate machinery which once facilitated cutting edge-research now sit abandoned on these debris-strewn levels. Much that was salvageable is already gone, but some rooms still contain the untouched remnants of never-finished experiments. After Catastrophe, Tianjin’s original purpose became an unaffordable luxury, and then later, under Hayes’s ownership: a forgotten irrelevance.
The Wilds
Tianjin’s Wilds occupy the nether reaches of the station’s old laboratories. Their haunted occupants are said to feature many former Dummies, rendered dangerously insane by their experiences servicing the needs of the Carnival’s most barbarous Patrons.
Many of those who snap under the strain of working in Tianjin’s Carnival end up in this hellish zone, surviving as members of volatile rag-tag gangs while evading the Syndicate patrols that come here to hunt them down.
NPCs
Security (Tianjin Security Services)
Visitors to Tianjin Security Services will find its reception area orderly and well-run. Behind it, through a large glass wall, a well-staffed open-plan office is visible. Inside it, uniforms are crisply ironed and desk slates brand new; proof that Tianjin’s private Security force is generously funded by the station’s owner, Etheel Hayes.
A staircase from reception leads to the upper floor; home to the station’s private security contractors and bodyguard firms. Due to the affluent nature of the Carnival’s Patrons, many choose to hire private bodyguards here for extra peace of mind. These offices see a brisk trade.
While the Carnival is highly permissive, its limits must constantly be enforced by the vigilant policing of Tianjin’s well-funded Security force. Little happens on this station without the authorities knowing about it. Here, hundreds of monitors showing various security camera feeds line the office’s back wall.
Some would be shocked by the images often shown here but Tianjin’s Security agents have long ago stripped themselves of any sensitivity to them. Their most pressing legal concern relates to whether the Patron involved has paid their license fees, and whether all affected by the Patron’s actions were consenting participants of the Carnival. If both conditions are met, then even the most bizarre and gruesome of acts unfolding on the multitude of screens will be met with a shrug of indifference by Security forces.
NPCs
Sick Bay (Tianjin General Hospital)
Accessible from various levels, Tianjin General Hospital boasts cutting-edge hardware and numerous well-used wards. Red and green-collared Carnival participants comprise the majority of the patients here, coming to repair injuries sustained at their Patrons’ service.
In the main foyer, nurses in green scrubs direct emergency arrivals to the required specialists. Despite the evident horrors of some injuries a surprising calmness permeates. It seems there’s little doubt of the hospital’s capacity to mend whatever has been broken, bashed, slashed or stabbed. Or perhaps such wounds are so frequent; they now elicit a degree of detached indifference.
NPCs
Notes
- Formerly had a Gaule Embassy; removed with the update on February 28, 2019
"Galactic Destinations" text
Today’s dispatch comes from the binary system of L 726-8, and one of the galaxy’s most controversial stations. Once dedicated to science, the Spirit of Tianjin is now famous for something far stranger: its unique ‘Carnival’, where nothing is forbidden to the wealthy Patrons. Debauchery is a luxury product here!
In the Carnival, other participants are the Patrons’ playthings. No laws or taboos restrict these interactions. Those who serve are dubbed ‘Actors’ and ‘Dummies’. Protected only by a clone back-up, their time on Tianjin is usually memorable; but not always in a good way.
Below we publish an extract from the log of Cha-Cha Barriss. One of Tianjin’s newest ‘Dummies’, Cha-Cha gives an insight into her first tenspan working the Carnival.
Day 1
They said yes! Carnival Dummy application accepted; yeah baby! For once in my life I’m gonna make serious credits. A few cycles working this freak show and I’ll be all set. Buy myself that rock hopper I always dreamed of, spend my days seeing the stars!
Day 3
Things are getting busy here. Loads of training and I had to sign a TON of legal waivers. Now I can’t sue anyone, no matter what they do to me here. But on the plus side, I already made more cash in 3 days than I did the whole last cycle scrubbing shuttle cabins…
Finally get my collar tomorrow. Dummies get a red one. Actors get green, and Patrons have gold bracelets. That way we all know who’s who. After that, I’ll be ‘in service’. Wish me luck!
Day 5
I think I’m getting the hang of this now. Here’s the lowdown:
I’m on duty for 50 segments of every day. Get my red collar on and go see what sorta mood the Patrons are in. Usually I hang out in the Inn, but not always. It doesn’t take long before one picks me up. I got novelty value, I guess. Maybe the tattoos catch their eye?
As for the sordid details? I’m not allowed to say much. Rich people don’t like having their secret kinks made public. But so far, it was what I expected. Most Patrons just like the power trip of being able to do what they want with us. They round up a few Dummies and get us doing stupid stuff… One drunk made us play Russian roulette yesterday. But he passed out from the booze before any of us copped it.
OK, I gotta go. Need some rest before the madness starts all over again tomorrow. I’m starting to miss Hopkins!
Day 7
Well, it had to happen sooner or later.
To be honest, I don’t remember much. Some whack job Patron made an obstacle course; then got a kick racing Dummies through it. They got a space for this kinda stuff; call it ‘The Theater’. The thing was full of traps and, of course, we didn’t know where…
Next thing I knew, I woke up in the Clone Vats. In my rehab session, I met a guy who’s been a Dummy here for 12 cycles. Reckons he’s been through 300 clones in that time. He takes memory suppressors but still… I wouldn’t wanna spend a day in his head.
Anyway, I don’t plan on being here that long. 3 cycles max.
Day 10
I’ve not been through the Clone Vats since the last time I wrote, but I’ve been patched up in Sick Bay a few times. Always come out good as new physically but, mentally, it’s another story. Like most of the other Dummies, I’ve started taking memory suppressors. It helps a little, but I still get weird dreams.
Don’t get me wrong; it’s not all depraved here. I think most of the Patrons just come for escape, from whatever’s keeping them from being their true selves elsewhere. Hell, half of them just wanna play the hero for the day. Got all sortsa ‘scenarios’ here for that too!
Anyway, I’m not complaining. I chose this, and they sure do pay good. But one thing’s bugging me. Whoever runs this place knows a lotta rich and powerful people’s secrets. I know they advertise ‘discretion’ but don’t tell me they aren’t doing anything with it all?
Enough with the conspiracies. Two more tenspans, then I’ll visit Hopkins. I’ll need a break by then; this Carnival is making my head spin!
<—- Return to L 726-8 A