SKIN(S)

The inhabitants return to  the skyscrapers towering over the synthetic forests. The trees have a higher average definition than the projected blue of the sky. Sometimes, the clouds are slightly pixelated. 

The dilating door is opened with the small pill-shaped implant located under the skin between  thumb and index finger. A female, clad in a skintight overall of the  moldable fabric, enters the minimalist apartment. The presence of its inhabitant is recognized by the Home System, adjusting the space to its preferred brightness, color and level of white noise. She sits on the flat hovering disk with a padded seat and floats to the maintenance station to rehydrate and take brightly colored pills providing daily nutrition. Every 11 blocks, the government broadcasts a hologram in the corner announcing the General shift. “It’s time to Switch Off and unwind. Your personal Pod is now unlocked and your uDouble can be activated with the following code: 590143.” 

Two pods are revealed as the female activates the illumination in the adjoining room. One of them sways open and vaporizes seREMtonin mist, a serum combining serotonin-triggers for the revival of specific memories and melatonine. The female takes her suit off, types the activation code and slips into the pod, plugging herself into the Home System. Her CSD, Collected Sensory Data, is synchronized, prepared for transmission and initializes her for Switch Off. The pod closes with a soft hiss, while the other capsule is lit up from within, showing the contours of a male. Once the female rests, the male twitches and rolls its eyes, woken up by the Home System and input of the fresh CSD.

“Good morning and prepare for your shift!” The hologram in the corner blasts, while the male dresses and feeds. Unsure about whether to turn it off, he listens to the shift announcements.

 “Today in sector D7ZG, the scientific ethics commission is gathering for the annual skin-project evaluation. This evaluation will compare the political, social, economic and environmental conditions in a contemporary double-skin society to a historical single-skin society. The dual-skin project began 80 years ago, aimed at eliminating gender inequality and has been successful according to prior evaluations. The transmission of data and consciousness from a male uDouble to a female uDouble has resulted in spectacular reduction of sexist and discriminatory practices in public, at the workplace and home. Crime rates have been cut, whereas reported life quality has risen to 98% satisfaction rate. Both work quantity and quality have drastically increased, since the consciousness is no longer bound to the biological limitations of one body. Additional information and statistics can be accessed through your Home Sscreen. Let’s all work together on a better future!”

 

The male, clutching a small suitcase, paces through the synthetic forest, the silhouettes of pigeons lag as he walks through them. After a few minutes he turns into a more densely projected area mimicking a shaded pine forest. Nervously he waited near an egalitarian monument, until a woman in a black dress appears, holding a similar small suitcase. “This is your product. The instructions are inside, so don’t ask any questions. Now give me the money.” He nods and the suitcases are exchanged. 

The male ignores the Home System’s alarming notifications from work and strides straight into the switch room. He sits down on the edge of his pod and opens the suitcase. It contains a small disk, a small veil with unifier and a syringe. The instructions are written on a wrinkly piece of paper and read as follows, “The small disk has a virus that destroys the program that transferences your CSD to your female uDouble. Then you need to stabilize your data in your skin with the unifier. Disinfect the needle and your arm. After you inject the unifier, you will pass out immediately. Make certain you are in your Pod and sleep one shift. Once you wake up you will be fixed in your body and you can unplug your other uDouble. Bought and consumed at own risk.” 

He installs the program into the Home System and looks through his maintenance station. He eats an extra nutrition tablet, he has heard this unification will take up all his energy. He finds micro-cleansing solution and sterilizes his forearm and the syringe. The Home System, functional again after the destruction of his other half, responds to his mood and dims the room, as the male sits down in his pod, bringing the syringe to his radical vein. A single-skinned mind trapped between two skins. This is the only way. He shoots the unifier and falls 
back.