Apostrophe

"If the frailties of old age have been eliminated, what is left?"

I am 100 years old today.

I thought about how the deep hues of blue and white crashed together in the ocean. These currents were centuries old but never lost their strength. Thousands of the water's bubbles swirled around me, as my hair danced lightly under the surface. Looking up, rays of light glistened through it's layers. Around this time, the water was warm.

Clouds were rolling in and the air was alive was static. Seeing I had only a few more minutes with the ocean, the atmosphere's darkness huddled around the peaks of the island's mountains.

Walking onto the shore, I dried myself with freshly hot towels as a smoothie was prepared for me in thin air. Crazy.

But even crazier than that, today was my birthday. My skin was smooth. My black hair never turned gray, nor was I fatigued. I could run, jump, climb, and dance.

Nothing was like it was for those way back in 2020 or something.

Ever since I received the wellness shot "Apostrophe", I was able to continue my lifespan for years on end. Hundreds of years, to be specific. Society was becoming more advanced than ever before, but I lost the drive to stay on the mainland with the rest of the population.

I experienced night terrors, thinking of ships on the far horizon that would bring bad omens. The news I didn't want to hear, of medical miracles gone awry. The greatest fear was seeing the shot not working, one day.

The procedure is pretty simple, actually. You have to get the wellness booster every year, on the same date, and on the very same time. Everything is scheduled down to the minute details. There are "at-home" kits, clinics, and drive-thru medical centers to receive it. But not everyone has been so willing.

Some people do not wish to carry on this long, looking like a 10 year old or a 30 year old forever. Really, it all depends on the age you take it. The downside, is, whatever age you start with is the age you're stuck with forever. You grow mentally, just not physically.

Like I said, not everyone wants to live for hundreds of years, and sometimes a shot is missed. These are the folks who have lived 500-600 years, and some people call it quits after only living a century. I wish to end this cycle at 200 years. What more could I see past then? Only advanced technology, teaching me new ways to be lazier and let robots do more of the mundane tasks within everyday life. It's not really advancing, if you ask me. You only get more ignorant to the science behind robotics, research, and life itself.

Oh well.

I chose to leave the bustling city skylines and nightlife, and move alone to the Pacific. With the newest technology, I can have anything I want delivered at lightning speed. Sustaining myself is not the issue anymore. Island life is not void of luxurious necessities, like you would once believe it to be. Instead, I am given whatever I wish.

Cruises around here are never ending, and so many sailboats pass by in the distance. Life has become an endless party, because there is nothing more to fear. Most ailments can be cured, and death is the least of anyone's true worries. However, something has been shifting. The news stations won't report it, and you can be taken if you question the shot's...."mistakes."

Rumors have been circulating around for years, saying that some folks develop horrible symptoms from the shot. Diseases that have never even been documented yet. Bizarre behavioral changes, diet changes, and so forth are all things that have been talked about in gossip. But what we all know deep down, is that these claims are probably true. At some point, the shot will lose effectiveness.

Will its ingredients finally cause us to mutate? To die off, if enough people get the side effects? Who really knows. But I don't want to stick around to find out.

Looking at the thin window screen, I settled back into my home facing the coast. It sat as a stark white contrast to the greenery of the jungle, completely protected against the elements of nature. I had to get a snack and quickly turn on the TV, since news was coming on. The lonely ship in a bottle on my dresser rattled when the TV formed itself into place, with 6 separate screens coming together to form lifelike graphics.

Attention, citizens of world territory #1:

Good Afternoon. This is an hourly reminder to get your shot, if your time slot is coming up. The scientists of Public Health Founders Inc. have wanted to share an important discovery, as this has never seen before.

Please pay attention.

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Thank you for the introduction, Claire. My name is Dr. Mason. I'm sure everyone knows my role already. But I have some...interesting news.

The animals have responded quite differently than we expected, when administering new trials of the shot to test its effectiveness for prolonged periods. No one has lived past the cap of 1000 years, but we want to change that. Unfortunately, it seems there are some technical difficulties.

Beware of your surroundings. We ask of you to keep safe, as we do not know if this newfound strength can be passed amongst the world's organisms. We also ask for you to send in a sample of your DNA, as your genetic makeup will have to be the new form of official government identification.

Will this may be startling news for you all, it is only for the betterment of humanity. If you are in danger, please notify the emergency robotic service at 6-9-3-4-2-1 on your devices.

Thank you, again. To longevity!

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Turning off the TV, I transported a plate of lobster and potatoes to my dinner table.

But suddenly, I felt strange. Looking down at my arms, I noticed a bite mark. The color of my skin was slowly changing into yellow and purple bruise marks from the site of injury, and I began to feel feverish.

Was this from when I was swimming? It looks like the teeth marks of some large fish or something....weird.

My eyes were getting heavy but my breathing was becoming faster.

What is happening....

Before I blacked out, I noticed a trial of my own blood near the TV.