Author's Notes:
Tears of the Mayfly is set in the same universe as Bacchus, but for the most part, they are separate and distinct tales.
It's science fiction where everything is possible, but this one comes with a TRIGGER WARNING or maybe just a DISCLAIMER. Whatever you call it, this story is a little different, so if you don't wish to explore unfamiliar paths, look elsewhere.
Feel free to skip this story if you have difficulty accepting sexualities beyond heterosexuality. I've no wish to offend anyone's sensitivities, but I won't constrain a story because of them either.
It's not a story about transsexuality or sexual identity. I'm waving NO flags here.
The main character is a genetically engineered being who is physically male AND female and is given the personality templates for both. That's a lot for a being to deal with.
Additionally, the story contains violence and death. Bacchus can be a scary place as its function is to feed the base desires of its visitors, and sometimes it gets dark.
I know some of my readers are sensitive to such things, so feel free to skip this story if you don't want to read about them. I understand, and it won't hurt my feelings.
All the above aside, this story has a core of love and hope for those whose hearts are open and willing to accept it in its many shapes and orientations.
All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older. Or were implanted with the intellect and sensibilities of said age group.
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Tears of the Mayfly
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Chapter 1
Planet Bacchus had earned its reputation as a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. While the adults-only party planet catered to the masses with many culturally acceptable entertainment activities, its offerings went well beyond, into the realms of the morally bankrupt.
This wasn't a planet for families until they'd all reached adulthood.
As long as you could afford to pay for it, nothing was out of bounds, and you could rest assured of the host's discretion. What happened on Bacchus stayed on Bacchus. This policy was better for business than extortion, as word of mouth was their best marketing, and repeat customers were their bread and butter.
The planet's administrators knew that many visitors would never participate in the more extreme activities, but they still got a perverse thrill just knowing they were close to it.
With their state-of-the-art genetics labs and absolutely no moral constraints (only financial ones), any creature could be created for the patron's use or abuse in most cases.
None of the creations were allowed off-planet. Genetically Engineered Entities, or Genies as they were called, were still illegal on most planets in the Confederacy, though some were beginning to accept them in limited ways.
While the clever geneticists were quite capable of producing a weaponized virus that could wipe out all human life, there was no profit in that, so they stuck to creating sex and murder surrogates.
To prevent the accidental creation of said virus, all genetic templates were thoroughly vetted in virtual space before being approved for physical delivery.
All diseases and physical ailments were screened from the creations, making them far healthier than the patrons. If they were expected to serve for extended periods, they'd be given immunity boosters and rapid healing capabilities, which protected management's investment.
At the opposite end of that spectrum, Mayfly was the name given to Genies created for use in Bacchus' rougher establishments. There was no expectation of longevity, so they'd be delivered healthy and typically leave the building in a body bag, most often the next day. They weren't given immunity boosters or fast-heal but instead received a genetic kill switch, limiting their lifespan to a maximum of three days, should they survive the patron's use for that long. Triggered by their birth, a malignant tumor would begin to grow rapidly at the base of their skull until it crushed their brain stem by the end of the third day, give or take a few hours.
This was considered another form of protection for keeping their creations in check. There was no point escaping if you wouldn't survive long enough to see another planet.
On Bacchus, the administrators were gods, the establishment operators were their enforcers, and life for the Genies was Hell.
But the patrons always had a good time.
Satisfaction guaranteed.
-=-
Senior Specialist Dheren glared at the screen as he read a last-minute requisition for new dancers from Madam DeGaul's Lady's Night Resort.
The psychotic bitch had offed an entire squad of talent in a fit of jealous rage again. Ten dead Genies. He suspected she must be off her meds. This latest waste of resources was going on her record, so the admins upstairs could make an adjustment if they determined they'd had enough of her shit.
Dheren had already decided she should get the boot, but it wasn't his call.
It was the end of his work shift, so he was working on his own personal project as his contract allowed. Truthfully, all the geneticists were encouraged to play a little as this typically benefited their employers, too.
His current pet peeve was the Mayfly template. While cheap to produce, he was convinced he could make a more economical template if he could make them last their full term. Not many lasted the full three days! This would mean he and his colleagues could spend less time on such mundane work.
Including the immunity boost and fast-heal features into the existing template wasn't an option as that conflicted with their kill switch and increased unit cost too much. It couldn't be justified.
However, he thought he'd found a way to make the existing template incorporate a new method for mildly augmenting immunity and accelerating minor healing based on a more efficient digestion system without conflicting with the aggressive tumor's growth. He was very pleased with himself for discovering this radical new biochemical process. He'd done extensive research to ensure he wasn't stepping on anyone else's trademark. As it was new, and he was the first, he was looking at a juicy bonus.
The fuel for this enhanced digestive function was just
one
additional ration bar per feeding period, once in the morning and once in the late afternoon. Five to six food bricks cost less than implementing the immunity boost and fast-heal features. It wouldn't save a lot of money, but it would save his team time, so they were rooting for his success.
He'd spent the better part of an hour putting the final touches on his template and getting it approved for physical prototyping. With this stupid rush requisition for more dancers, he'd have to push it off until next week!
He glared at the screen and then suddenly had a thought. His prototype would have to go to the test team, which would take weeks before they sent their analysis report back. He was never convinced their testing matched real-life usage. If he included his prototype with the order of dancers, he could get real testing results within three days. It went against protocols, but he'd be looking at a slap on the knuckles at most as he was one of their senior-most geneticists and far too valuable to the team.
The Madam would have to agree to include a Mayfly in her order and be willing to submit a new order for one dancer when the Mayfly expired.
He smiled as he knew how to get her to agree. He placed the call and used her direct number from the requisition. It didn't take long for her to answer, so she must be aware of the ramifications of her actions.
