Brogan had his Hand Caught

Brogan had his hand caught and stuck in the fissure at the back of the metallic dragon.

He had been trying to force the tendril-like porthole open further when the thing had clamped shut. It was of course, a security response to intruders. His wand was jammed inside there too. Nervina had tried to pull him out holding his waist, but Brogan complained that something was dragging on his hand every time he pulled back, and it felt excruciating.

Even though the two were invisible they were still very much a part of this virtual world. They could feel everything around them, whilst the others who were actually playing in the game, could not.

"If this thing takes off we'll be in trouble" Nervina said a little obviously.

Brogan thought the inclusive 'we' was inaccurate. He felt alarmed.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Marble White Fluid

Cow had been eating the pink flowers in the paddock, and neither Puck nor Goober had realised that this had been inhibiting her milk production. It was only when the buds had all been eaten, and she had no more left to graze upon, that one morning the marble white fluid appeared in the pail.

"Finally!" a joyful Goober called out to Puck, interrupting this morning's session with the highland Dwarves who meet together every solstice. Each had a coffee and cake, although some were still tucking into the cheeses. (It was the Dwarves who invented Cappuccino, named of course after the famous Red Cap dwarves of Europe.)

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Rot that the Selfish Endure

Phillip Marsden was not all bad - but his soul had developed that kind of rot that the selfish endure when goodness begins to offend them, and in the later part of the malaise, causes them pain.

He had absconded from a permanent hell only because of this alliance - and now were he to be without their influence he would perish, as it was their life force that animated his every move.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Repelled by their Reptilian Ways

Marsden would strive to please the demons, yet his master was self-pride. He had commissioned monuments and portraits, displaying them all with extravagant promotion. Throughout the virtual communities of Phoenix and within the real world too: art centres and public parks, were grandiose sculptures, drinking fountains and illuminated billboards, all portraying his powerful self. He was sending out a message that his eye was on the community, and that his presence being everywhere, was worthy of celebrating.

He had also created artworks, which resembled the unattractive alien beings he was entangled with. He did not do this from respect, but for appeasement. His fealty was plastic, he really did not care for their kind at all.

In point of fact, the human being that was still left in him was repelled by their reptilian ways, yet it was very difficult for him to disassociate from the entity who had attached itself to the back of his neck and imbedded itself at the base of his head. It would even speak to him when he tried to sleep, and interject with cruel and snide mutterings, just when he needed to rest.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Juvenile Detention

Of course the bulk of Phoenix hardware - their collectibles, tokens, ID strands, catalogues and contents, were all supplied by the prison factories, and then paid for in discounted lots back to the local communities.

Easy targets for recruitment were the infants of the teenage mothers, who were fostered into Phoenix homes until old enough to be first set up for juvenile detention. It was a seamless plan with endless candidates. 

Getting them young meant that they would become used to the work ahead of them in their sunless existence yet to follow.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

Entrapment

Labour in the Third World had become expensive with Fair Trade winning its cause. This meant now that cheaper work was sought for – and it was now the prison occupants who formed the manufacturing base for the worldwide economy - from clothes to car parts - respectable society prospered while the unpaid slavery toiled within their confinements.

Furthermore it was the universal government itself (working in alias through Phoenix) that had actually put the goods out there on the streets in the first place.

Entrapment was absolutely justified, they explained, as it was a means to sorting the citizens best suited for internment work - those who took the con, had lost their privilege in an instant of an ordinary life outside.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series

'Blitz' on Crime

Out on the streets the word was that they were making big arrests in every city of the world.

This 'blitz' on crime was proudly publicised as being a great win for those of the moral society, who had flatly decided that the scum of the drug trade were now to be reigned in and punished, once and for all.

Operation 'snatch' was so successful that the correction facilities were running overfull, and they were putting three to a cell just to be able to hold them.

But in truth, it had been the free labor that the governments had been after all along; and the arrests were simply a means to an end.

-Gabriel Brunsdon, Puck in Hell, Azlander Series