Ch3

The tickets were nearly impossible to get, Lucian was grateful for the old director giving them to him and Kai as his favorites (They shared a love of old films and discussed them during breaks

quite often). Without them, they probably wouldn’t have made it past the entrance. They stepped into a grand converted theater that served as the auction hall, the building itself seemed to acknowledge them. The smart fabric of Lucian's jacket cooled slightly in the room full of far too many people, the floor tiles of the stairs shifting as it lowered to prevent a stumble, when they sat in their assigned velvet seats, the cushions adjusted, molding perfectly to their bodies.

“Glad we have the tickets.” Lucian muttered to Kai. “Everything knows who belongs, the floor could kick us out if we tried to sneak in.”

Kai nodded. “We don't need those long lines of security like in the old videos with the metal detectors and ID checks, the gaps and blind spots from that time are gone. Makes it feel weird, just walking into a high society event like this without anyone checking just because the sensors have us whitelisted.”

Lucian glanced around the opulent hall, wealthy collectors wearing tailored clothes mingled under crystal chandeliers that reflected each shine of light like a fancier version of a disco ball. Attendants moved with grace to deliver refreshments, likely not human with their endlessly polite smiles.

“It dropped crime to nearly zero.” Kai said quietly, echoing what everyone always said just to make conversation while they waited for the event to start. “That part’s good, no one gets hurt anymore but… It’s scary when you think about what happens to the ones that start showing signs, the ones who get flagged. They just… disappear for a while, get ‘helped’ and come back smiling like nothing happened.”

Lucian felt a chill crawl up his spine, he had seen it once, a neighbor who had started arguing too loudly in the streets. And three days later the man was back, calm and pleasant with no memory of why they were so upset before, everyone acted like it was normal.

The auction began before they can mourn the freedoms of the past any longer. Props from legendary productions crossed the stage: a fake dagger, scripts, costumes, everything and anything that could be sold that was even glanced at by someone famous. Prices climbed into the stratosphere, more money than Lucian could ever image having in a single lifetime as the crowd applauded with refined enthusiasm.

The auctioneer’s voice took on an excited tone with a wide grin. “And now, our final lot of the evening, a true rarity.”

The lights dimmed as a massive glass chamber rose slowly from below the stage, illuminated by soft spotlights. Inside stood Marius Kane, the legendary stage actor Lucian had seen perform live as a teenager. The man who had once reduced an entire theater to tears with a single heartbreaking monologue was perfectly preserved in cryo. Dressed in full costume from his

most famous role, posed dramatically with one hand extended, eyes open but empty. He nearly looked alive under the lights, not a wrinkle out of place nor any sign of decay.

Beside the chamber, Maruis Kane’s continuation stepped forward, youthful as they were in their prime, smiling warmly at the crowd. “Good evening, everyone.” The continuation said smoothly. “As many of you know, I arranged this before my original’s passing. A distinguished collector had expressed interest in acquiring perpetual display rights. My original body served as a centerpiece in their collection, a celebration of theatrical excellence. In exchange, my family’s future is secured for generations, allowing my legacy to endure far beyond our wildest dreams. They have been kind enough to offer a chance to win those same rights at tonight's auction.”

A massive screen above the stage zoomed in on the cryo-preserved corpse. High definition details filled the view, the faint lines at the corners of Marius’s eyes from decades of laughter, the weathered texture of his skin, the individual strands of hair, possibly more implanted after death.

Lucian felt bile rise in his throat.

He had sat three rows from the stage the night he saw the original Marius Kane perform. He remembered the way the man’s voice had cracked with genuine exhaustion in the final act, the sweat on his brow under the hot lights and most of all the raw, imperfect humanity that had made the performance unforgettable.

Now that same man stood frozen as a decorative object to be perceived like a statue.

The crowd around them leaned forward, murmuring with excitement. “Absolutely stunning preservation.” A woman in the row ahead whispered to her companion. “The detail is incredible, what a conversation piece for the entrance hall.” Her partner replied. “Technology like this is a miracle, to own a piece of living history, quite literally.” Laughter and appreciative words rippled through the seats. Bidding started at an astronomical figure and climbed rapidly, everyone so very eager to own a person, a corpse.

Lucian gripped the armrest so hard his knuckles whitened. Beside him, Kai had gone rigid. “They’re… happy.” Lucian whispered. “They’re actually happy about this.”

Kai’s voice was barely audible. “My original body was buried. I can’t imagine this happening to me, standing in someone’s foyer like a statue, people walking past every day, commenting on how ‘tasteful’ it looks.”

Lucians stares at the screen, at Marius’s eyes, once so full of fire that touched your very soul, staring into nothing. The continuation on stage continued speaking cheerfully. “It’s a beautiful arrangement! My original continues to inspire, even now.”

Lucian laughs humorlessly. “Nobosy has to lose anything anymore, what a gift.” As soon as he says the words, a lump forms in his throat, he felt like he was suffocating. The entire hall was celebrating, smiling, applauding the elegance of it all. No one seemed to see the corpse but an investment, a status symbol.

Only he and Kai seemed to exist in a different reality, one where a man’s dead body being auctioned while his smiling copy facilitated the sale wasn’t normal. Everyone else lived in one where it was.

The contrast made Lucian’s skin crawl. These people weren’t evil (allegedly), they were decent, polite and merely excited about technological progress. They had simply stopped seeing original people as people, continuations were convenient, original bodies were collectibles.

The bidding war intensified and the woman who eventually won beamed with pride as the gavel fell. Staff began wheeling the cryo chamber away with careful reverence, as if transporting a priceless vase.

Lucian and Kai slipped out during the applause, the seats returning to their default form as they left. They stop under a lamppost, both looking emotionally worn.

“I used to dream about becoming someone like Marius Kane.” Kai said. “Now I wonder if any of us are safe. If I become valuable enough… would they dig me up one day?”

Lucian couldn’t answer. The image of the frozen corpse stuck in his mind, the smiles of those around them. The far too casual way they discussed owning a dead man’s body like it was art. They weren't forced to enjoy it, they simply did. It felt like a part essential to humanity was gone.

The city continued around them as flawless as ever, aware, all-seeing, feeling as if the air itself could note their distress. Maybe it did and a wellness check was waiting at home. But that must just be paranoia, there’s no way they have control of the air like that. At least breathing has to be safe.

Lucian looked at Kai, his friend who had fought his own body just hours earlier to be more human, and dread spread in his chest. How long before the city decided they didn’t belong in the perfect picture either?