Rolling Stones Gather One Loss

Alphy observed that so-called Western cultures of the Saps did not respect old age and also did not treat their elderly people well. Putting them into Aged Don’t Care Homes. Suitably concentrated to maximise the impact of unvaccinated health care workers.

He also noted that the Saps often exhibited contradictory behaviour. So the Rolling Stones, who were Celebrity Septuagenarians & Octogenarians, were idolised by many. Johno had quipped that the Rolling Stones were proof that there was life after death. Janno replied sadly that the legacy of Charlie Watts will remain long after his death.

Back on AC, physical ailments including ageing had been solved thousands of Earth years previously, using a method not dissimilar to DNA manipulation. So the only way that Centaurians died, was from catastrophic accidents destroying all DNA, or when their intellectual capability declined irretrievably (analogous to Sap dementia). Centaurians had accepted long ago to be ‘de-lifed’ when this condition eventuates. Observing the mental acuity of most anti-vaxers, Alphy mused if they would be candidates for ‘de-lifeing’ back on AC.

Alphy had observed that many Saps seemed obsessed with trying to remain looking young, ably deceived by a massive beauty industry. Back on AC, they were incredulous when Alphy had reported back the moronic behaviour of Saps injecting chemicals into their face to alter their appearance. Alphy called them Botoxons.

On AC, your physical appearance was at your total control through the use of their genetic technology. In fact, Centaurians are gender fluid throughout their very long lives. So physical appearance and sexuality was just a result of the whim of the individual. Alphy wondered if the Saps being socially and genetically constrained to identity strait-jackets explained the prevalence of WHAM’s (White Homophobic Angry Males) in alt-Right organisations.

Over-population was another problem facing the Saps. As clearly the number of Saps was outstripping the capability of the planet to support them sustainably. Their old methods of population reduction, such as wars, famine and pestilence, were no longer effective.

On AC population was regulated. Due to the absence of physical decline, the population of AC reduced at a very low rate. Population had long ago been capped to match the sustainable capability of Alpha Centauri, so new ‘births’ were matched exactly to replace the low number of deaths. Those wanting to ‘deliver’ a new Centaurian entered a ballot, which was conducted annually based on the limited reduction in overall population that had occurred. In reality, most Centaurians were more than happy not to be ‘parents’ and the few that were, were known as Guardians. As the genetic make-up of these new Centaurians was randomly selected, this solved numerous issues associated with lineal succession.

The Saps considered themselves to be of superior intelligence, but many, to Alphy’s bewilderment, still believed in Hereditary Royalty. In particular, Alphy could not understand how Australia could have a Head of State, that was not even Australian. Whose total qualifications to be Monarch was to be born to the previous Monarch, who in turn their qualification to be Monarch had been because…

This resulted in a long line of generational decadent and sordid behaviour, culminating in the current saga of Randy Andy.

Johno interrupted Alphy’s train of thought. 'Apart from, the latest report from the IPCC predicting an imminent climate catastrophe, rampant Covid, the rise of authoritarian populism, an increasingly belligerent China, and a class A fuck-up taking place in Afghanistan, the world is in pretty good shape,’ said Johno. ‘The only bright spot is the fact that Collingwood failed to make the finals.’

Janno was part of a group informally known as the ‘Sisterhood Solidarity Collective’ and was preparing a petition for the Australian Government to increase the quota of temporary visas to protect Afghan women at risk.’

Yet another disaster loomed for the Saps, thought Alphy, driven by religious fanaticism.

'For Afghan women, the Taliban will make the Stone Age seem like the Renaissance,’ said Janno.

Alphy observed the contradiction yet again of how the Saps could be collectively brutal, but individually compassionate.