Novel Excerpt: Perfectly Inhuman Chapter 4 [Revised]

This is a novel I've been kicking around for over 15 years now. I had a full draft finished around 2012--I'm finally getting around to the editing and rewriting phase. Man, it needed an overhaul. If you look back on my older blog post for this same scene, you'll see what I mean. Has it been six years already? Bloody hell.

This story takes place in a distant future, in which the ice caps melted and the last remaining cities hold the last of mankind. The first few chapters presented Mary Ethel Weiss (last name subject to change), the most famous popstar in Cascade City. She's kidnapped in the first chapter by terrorists, then released with an ominous message. When Mary goes back to her ways, living extravagantly in wealth and pleasure, she is arrested by the police for reasons unknown. Then this happens...

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The doors opened, and the guard pushed Mary out of the elevator. She stepped into a lobby—the walls were glass and colored tiles coated the floor. A frosted glass partition separated the lobby from a private office—in front of it, a secretary in a suit manned a black desk.

The secretary wordlessly pressed a button, and glass doors opened. The guard pushed Mary though, and they entered an office full of holograms and floating display screens. At the far end was a desk made of red wood. Real organic wood with intricate knots and carvings around its edges. An extravagance by any standards—it had to belong to the Mayor.

Sure enough, he stood behind the desk staring out the panoramic windows at the city. A slick black suit enveloped his thin body. When he turned, she beheld his face—a narrow and angular face with a sharp chin. His green eyes were like laser beams that penetrated everything he regarded. His black hair was slicked back with gel and neatly combed. Mayor Quentin Warhol looked the same as he did on TV. Seeing him in the flesh, Mary’s opinion was unchanged—he was a slimeball.

Standing next to him was a woman with well-toned muscles showing through her tight leather outfit. Her face looked soft and puffy, but her dark eyes looked hard enough to break rock. Her black hair was tied in a little bun. A surly frown contorted her face—she was too b*tchy to be a mistress or anybody close to the Mayor. Whatever her story was, Mary hated her instantly.

On the Mayor’s other side, Lester leaned against the desk with a smug grin. Mary immediately ran towards him with a fist raised. She didn’t even want an explanation anymore—she wanted to make the bastard hurt.

Her fist never made it. Halfway through her run, the woman in leather leapt forward and kneed Mary in the gut. All the wind huffed out of her lungs, and she keeled over. The woman grabbed her by the hair and threw her head into the desk. Pain shot through her cheek and a shout escaped her mouth. Her jaw ached and she tasted blood.

“Enough!” Quentin demanded. “Tina, stand down.  You’ll damage her.”

Tina obediently stepped back and stood perfectly still by the desk. A tiny smile stretched across her face, and she regarded Mary as if she was an insect.

The guard helped Mary to her feet. Swallowing the blood in her mouth, she asked, “What’s the meaning of all this?”

Turning to Lester, Quentin asked, “You haven’t told her yet?”

“What’s the point?” Lester shrugged. “We’re going to wipe her memory anyway.”

“Come now, the lady would probably be much more willing and a lot less afraid if she knew the truth.”

“What truth?” Mary demanded. “What the f*ck are you all talking about?”

“Watch your filthy tongue, you slut,” Tina snapped with a scowl.

Quentin told Mary, “You must excuse my Elite Security Commander.  She can actually be quite the respectable lady when she wants to be. Can’t you, Tina?”

“Mary Weiss is a whore. I don’t see why any of this is necessary. Let me take care of her. Just a snap of the neck, and all her misery will be over, painlessly and fast.”

“No, you will not kill the guest of honor. There are some HLF terrorists being held in the courtyard prison house. You can kill one of them.”

“With pleasure, as always,” Tina sighed, before strolling out of the office.

When she was gone, Quentin continued, “Now, I only think it’s fair that you should know what’s going on, what we plan to do with you, and why.”

“Lester told me there was some kind of new contract,” Mary said. “I don’t know what this is, but if I’m going to be treated like this, I want out.”

“No can do.”

Those three words were a punch to Mary’s heart. There was no mistaking his intentions—she was his prisoner now. He robbed her of her freedom, so callously and senselessly. It didn’t matter if he was in power, he could not have this kind of power over her. She wouldn’t let him.

“What do you mean, ‘no can do’? You can’t just lock me up here and expect me to play along. A new phase of my career is just beginning. I have new music to record.”

“But that’s not what we want,” With those words, Quentin punched her in the heart again.

With a scowl, Mary pleaded, “Who cares what you want? It’s my life!”

“Mary, listen. I’ve been a fan of yours from the beginning. You’ve given the people something very important that they need: escapism. All your songs promoting freedom of love and sexuality—it’s the perfect thing to distract the masses from their problems, and it makes them feel good.”

“So…Orco was right.”

“Ah, so you heard some of that bastard’s poisonous insinuations? Don’t worry—any memories you have of that guy will be wiped away.”

“What are you talking about? Why are you going to f*ck around with my mind?”

To Lester, Quentin remarked, “Oh, she’ll be perfect. I love that body. Few things I want to change—different hair, leaner body, make her eyes green—but her bust and face are just right. You think they’ll be able to fix her attitude too?”

Lester shrugged. “It’s not my area, sir. But from what I hear, anything is possible. She’ll be a whole new woman.”

“Why are you talking about me like that?” Mary asked.

Quentin grinned. “You’re such a lucky lady. In two weeks, you’ll be my wife.”

The words were daggers in her ears. “Like hell I will! You have a really f*cking awful way of proposing! I’ll never be your wife! F*ck you!”

“Come on, think about the possibilities! You’ll boost my approval ratings and galvanize the public. And in turn, you’ll have a far bigger fanbase than you ever thought possible. We both win.”

“You can’t do this! You can’t make me do anything! I have rights!”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Mary. Clones don’t have rights.”