126)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      And
      Now
      A
      Word
      From
      Our
      Sponsor...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      At
      precisely
      6:00
      AM
      the
      alarm
      came
      on,
      its
     
     
      shrill
      whine
      permeating
      the
      air.
      It
      rang
      for
      exactly
      one
     
     
      minute
      before
      switching
      automatically
      to
      the
      speaker.
     
    

    
     
      ..
      another
      beautiful
      day
      out
      there.
      Outside
     
     
      the
      city
      limits
      the
      temperature
      is
      a
      searing
      one
      hundred
     
     
      fifty
      degrees
      Fahrenheit,
      but
      here
      within
      the
      atmos-
     
     
      pheric
      dome
      it's
      a
      much
      more
      comfortable
      ninety
     
     
      degrees,
      thanks
      to
      our
      Sponsor.
      Tomorrow
      rain
      is
     
     
      scheduled
      from
      noon
      until
      four,
      and
      the
      day
      after
      that
     
     
      it
      will
      be
      eighty-five
      degrees.
      And
      now
      here's
      the
     
     
      news,
      brought
      to
      you
      of
      course
      by
      our
      Sponsor.
      City
     
     
      officials
      stated
      yesterday
      ..
      ."
     
    

    
     
      The
      overhead
      lights
      came
      on,
      illuminating
      the
     
     
      windowless,
      square
      room
      with
      a
      soft
      glow.
      A
      gentle,
     
     
      feminine
      voice
      came
      over
      the
      speaker
      in
      the
      ceiling.
     
    

    
     
      "This
      wake-up
      call
      brought
      to
      you
      by
      the
     
     
      Sponsor.
      It
      is
      exactly
      6:02
      AM,
      two
      minutes
      past
      the
     
     
      prescribed
      waking
      time.
      At
      precisely
      6:05
      AM
      the
     
     
      hydro-mist
      shower
      will
      be
      initiated.
      It
      is
      advised
      that
     
     
      you
      do
      not
      miss
      this
      appointment."
     
    

    
     
      The
      figure
      in
      the
      bed
      didn't
      stir.
     
    

    
     
      The
      lights
      flared
      on
      to
      their
      full
      brightness.
      The
     
     
      voice
      quickly
      changed
      from
      soft
      to
      sharp.
      It
      boomed
     
     
      throughout
      the
      small
      room.
     
    

    
     
      "It
      is
      advised
      that
      you
      get
      up,
      as
      it
      is
      now
     
     
      exactly
      6:03
      AM,
      three
      minutes
      past
      the
      prescribed
     
     
      waking
      time.
      .
      ."
     
    

    
     
      At
      the
      increase
      in
      volume,
      the
      consumer
     
     
      opened
      his
      eyes
      and
      sat
      up
      in
      the
      bed
      located
      in
      the
     
     
      middle
      of
      the
      room.
      He
      stretched
      and
      yawned,
      attempt-
     
     
      ing
      to
      rid
      himself
      of
      the
      last
      traces
      of
      sleep.
      After
      he
     
     
      climbed
      out
      of
      bed,
      he
      pulled
      the
      sheets
      over
      his
      pil-
     
     
      low,
      which
      bore
      the
      words
      "Head
      Rest
      -
      Brought
      to
     
     
      you
      by
      the
      Sponsor".
      The
      voice
      droned
      on,
      urging
      him
     
     
      to
      hurry
      and
      make
      it
      to
      the
      shower.
      Before
      he
      left
      the
     
     
      room,
      however,
      he
      took
      a
      minute
      to
      glance
      around
      the
     
     
      room,
      just
      as
      he
      did
      every
      morning.
      The
      walls,
      floor,
     
     
      and
      ceiling
      were
      all
      a
      glaring
      white.
      The
      consumer
      had
     
     
      chosen
      the
      color
      himself
      from
      the
      choices
      provided
      by
     
     
      the
      Sponsor
      -
      white,
      whiter,
      and
      whitest.
      It
      was
      said
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      that
      soon
      a
      new
      color
      was
      going
      to
      be
      available
      called
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "ultimate
      white".
      He
      smiled.
      Everything
      was
      tidy,
     
     
      everything
      was
      in
      its
      place.
      Just
      the
      way
      he
      liked
      it.
     
     
      He
      climbed
      into
      the
      shower,
      the
      door
      sliding
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Jonathan
      Smith
     
    
   
   
    
     
      shut
      and
      locking
      in
      place
      behind
      him.
      As
      he
      reached
     
     
      for
      his
      tube
      of
      soap,
      a
      wall
      panel
      slid
      open,
      revealing
      a
     
     
      screen.
      It
      flickered
      to
      life,
      and
      the
      picture
      displayed
      a
     
     
      model
      with
      soap
      suds
      all
      over
      her
      body.
     
    

    
     
      "Are
      you
      tired
      of
      the
      ordinary
      tubed
      soap
      that
     
     
      only
      gets
      your
      skin
      clean?"
      cooed
      the
      screen,
      "Try
      new
     
     
      Bet-R-Soap,
      the
      soap
      that
      gets
      you
      cleaner
      than
      clean
     
     
      so
      you
      won't
      have
      to
      go
      about
      your
      daily
      business
      feel-
     
     
      ing
      just
      clean.
      Brought
      to
      you
      by
      the
      Sponsor."
     
    

    
     
      A
      small
      jingle
      accompanied
      the
      ad,
      the
      screen
     
     
      went
      blank,
      and
      the
      panel
      slid
      back
      into
      place.
      The
     
     
      mist
      evaporated,
      and
      the
      stall
      door
      opened.
      He
      climbed
     
     
      out
      and
      stood
      over
      the
      drying
      vent
      in
      the
      floor,
      listen-
     
     
      ing
      as
      a
      speaker
      in
      the
      far
      wall
      listed
      off
      the
      reasons
      to
     
     
      upgrade
      to
      the
      all
      new
      Dryer
      4000X.
     
    

    
     
      "...a
      whole
      oe:
      seconds
      faster
      than
      the
      lead-
     
     
      ing
      hint
      i
      dryer...
     
    

    
     
      He
      went
      back
      ato
      his
      room,
      oad
      the
      feminine
     
     
      voice
      once
      again
      came
      over
      the
      ceiling
      speaker.
     
    

    
     
      "It
      is
      now
      6:08
      AM,
      twelve
      minutes
      before
      the
     
     
      prescribed
      departure
      time.
      This
      reminder
      brought
      to
     
     
      you
      by
      the
      Sponsor."
     
    

    
     
      He
      quickly
      dressed
      and
      ate
      a
      bowl
      of
      Nutrient.
     
     
      It
      had
      been
      a
      different
      kind
      today,
      something
      called
     
     
      "New
      Flavour".
      Not
      bad,
      but
      it
      seemed
      to
      him
      that
      it
     
     
      tasted
      just
      the
      same
      as
      the
      other
      kinds.
      After
      eating
      he
     
     
      left
      his
      apartment,
      the
      door
      automatically
      locking
     
     
      behind
      him.
      As
      he
      walked
      down
      the
      hall
      towards
      the
     
     
      elevator,
      the
      row
      of
      screens
      along
      the
      walls
      desperately
     
     
      tried
      to
      grab
      his
      attention.
     
    

    
     
      .
      reduce
      nibpaniotet
      damage
      today.
      Buy
      new
     
     
      Ray
      Block
      2500.
     
    

    
     
      .
      Slow
      +
      signs
      of
      aging
      by
      having
      a
      face
     
     
      peel
      ‘ade,
      58%
      success
      rate
      .
     
    

    
     
      Outside
      it
      was
      only
      a
      shat
      sprint
      to
      the
      nearest
     
     
      transit
      terminal.
      The
      usual
      crowds
      were
      present,
      and
      he
     
     
      shoved
      his
      way
      through
      them
      to
      make
      it
      to
      the
      right
     
     
      platform.
      Some
      people
      talked
      into
      palm
      phones
      or
      kept
     
     
      to
      themselves.
      Others
      stood
      about
      watching
      the
      ads
     
     
      being
      displayed
      throughout
      the
      terminal,
      some
      jotting
     
     
      down
      the
      facts
      and
      phone
      numbers
      being
      flashed
      on
     
     
      the
      screens.
      He
      found
      his
      place
      and
      stood
      alone,
      fold-
     
     
      ing
      his
      arms
      as
      he
      waited
      for
      the
      transport.
     
    

    
     
      With
      a
      soft
      hiss
      the
      bullet-shaped
      transport