ARCHIVE POST FOUR

Master Riki,

It’s almost past midnight but I must write to you now. As you probably know, Master Iason has gone to meet with Mister Am for their usual chess game. I assume you know what this means, don’t you? You can finally sigh in relief for the moment. Well, it’s too bad you aren’t awake like I am at this ungodly hour. You’ve had a long day filled with adventurous spirit. I wonder how you can make this life as a pet exciting without trying to kill something or someone.

But all this isn’t what I really want to discuss. I’m actually very interested in where you have come from. Yes, yes, you always answer the same thing: “just the slums, because it’s not like you know anything about it, Daryl”. Really, now, I was taken aback when you said this to me the first time. Sure, the slums aren’t anything like the riches and luxury here. Of course it seems that I have plenty of resources at your fingertips as furniture, but do you really think furniture are different than a normal being such as a man (no! Not even a man), a boy, living off of whatever new is thrown into the depths of the slums? Oh Jupiter, I hope you don’t.

My name is Daryl. Certainly, I am labeled as furniture. I’m not considered a male due to lack of genitals, correct. Even though this is true, I am still a living being; and a man on top of that! I too have a heart, mind, body, and soul. I, like you, have come from the slums.

Ha! So look now, there it is. I finally have said it. Mind blowing, isn’t it, Master Riki? Furniture come from the slums, too. We’re not biologically engineered to be sterile and submissive. We became this way because we didn’t have a choice. Once I was chosen, I could never go back. It’s a life or death situation, really. It was to become furniture and serve the lords or get thrown into the pit and die. When I mean pit, I don’t mean that we were going to be thrown back into the slums. What I am trying to say is if we refused, we were locked down and killed. Painlessly, as the adults at the facility told us; but in this world of greed and power, there is no such thing as a painless death.

I’m sure if you saw this post, your curiosity would get the better of you. There’s no need to be curious about me or the other furniture, though. I will be more than happy to tell you all about it here, in the Tanagura Archive. When you’ve found this archive, you may read all that you’d like.

Oh, the clock flickers its neon lights at me, telling the time. It is very early in the morning, but very past night. If Jupiter would grant me to sleep just a bit, I would be so grateful.

--Command: End Speech--