It was a cold, cloudy afternoon on November 12th. Sleet fell on the rare passers-by, covering them with drizzle. I was standing at a catering cafe where they made fast food to take away. Due to the fact that almost everything in my city was closed due to the pandemic, the fast food cafe remained the only one in the city that served high-quality coffee.
So, I had a cappuccino with my new friend. He was a young man in his thirties, wearing a brown coat with bangs over his eyes and thick glasses. We were standing outside a cafe, where I was drinking coffee and he was smoking a cigarette. We talked about the meaning of life while we were there.
– Tell me, my friend Fagot, what the hell is going on right now? -The more I study and get to know the reality around us, the more I don’t understand. I said to the Bassoon.
He was standing sideways to me and smoking. Carefully looking at the passers-by passing by us.
– Something’s going on. Everything is somehow wrong, unfair. Something is going wrong and no one feels it.– I shared my feelings.
– Oh, they don’t need to understand or feel anything. Most people have higher education instead of a head and heart, while another part of society has no soul at all, it has been exchanged for material values, drunk into alcoholic oblivion, sold or simply pawned by some demonic Force. Humans, like biological machines, simply walk and feed their master with their own vital energy. They’re like bots in a computer video game. You should treat this world more simply. Imagine that you are in the latest video toy like Skyrim or the Witcher. You must admit that in such games, most of the characters will just be a beautiful background or addition to the game. Others will give you some kind of quest that will bring you money and experience when you complete it. You can build or buy houses, transport, get married, start a family, have sexual intercourse, raise children, improve your talents and abilities, earn money, and so on. It’s just like in the game. Treat life the same way.– Finished the Bassoon.
– The fact is, dear Bassoon , that any game can be replayed if you don’t like something about your gameplay or you simply die in the game. In my life, there is no second chance to complete the game. I have no right to make mistakes, and the consequences of my mistakes can be very serious.
– I answered the bassoon’s instructions sadly.
– Don’t worry, you’re a human being and all people have the right to make mistakes. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here in this world. – Finished the Bassoon.
The Bassoon deftly jumped like a parkourer onto the roof of a stone house, waved at me and disappeared.
Future. Robots. Transference of consciousness. Story 2.
The alarm clock is ringing on Android. It’s an unpleasant sound. We need to get up and take the child to school. Damn, I want to sleep. Stop. Something is wrong. I am not in my apartment, nor am I in my bed or wearing my clothes. Mom! What on earth is going on? A Bassoon magically appears in front of me. He is smiling strangely. When a demon smiles like that, even if he is as sweet and friendly as a Bassoon, it is obviously not good.
– Welcome back.– Bassoon greeted me.
–What the hell is going on? Where am I? What I’m wearing is some strange clothes.– I asked, desperately looking at the clothes on me with disgust.
– Just don’t yell and don’t freak out. You’re in the future. Take a look around. You’ll see for yourself now.– The Bassoon answered me.